Junior Officers
by NoonboryKedabory
Summary: Four junior officers are trained to become full-fledged Octonauts. Rated ages 12 and up for mild language and use of alcohol.
1. Introduction

_Before we begin the story, let's go over a synopsis of the junior officers._

**Name**: Elekai Echidna (pronounced elle-uh-kye)

**Gender**: Male

**Age**: 26

**Position: **Junior mechanic

**Personality**: Brave, loyal, strong-willed

Elekai is a determined young man who wants nothing more than to protect his friends from harm.

**Strengths**: He is very loyal and will do anything for his crew members.

**Flaws**: He's overly serious and often acts more like a soldier than an Octonaut.

EKDL

**Name**: Kitsune Fox (pronounced kit-soo-nay)

**Gender**: Female

**Age**: 35

**Position: **Junior medic

**Personality**: Caring, submissive, motherly

After her husband lost his job, Kitsune came to the Octonauts looking for a way to support her family. She's a sweet, gentle young woman with a pension for caring.

**Strengths**: She's caring and loyal, and nothing makes her happier than helping her crewmates.

**Flaws**: She's a bit of a pushover and doesn't like to get dirty or slimy.

EKDL

**Name**: Deborah "Deb" Deer (pronounced "de-boh-rah", not "deb-rah")

**Gender**: Female

**Age**: 18

**Position: **Junior field researcher

**Personality**: Friendly, energetic, geeky

Deborah is just beginning to enter the real world. She loves to learn and prides herself in being both capable and girly.

**Strengths**: She's a great partner and can easily brighten up a room.

**Flaws**: She's rather stubborn and a little naive.

EKDL

**Name**: Lekona Lion (pronounced leh-koh-nah)

**Gender**: Male

**Age**: 43

**Position: **Junior supervisor/night patrol

**Personality**: Relaxed, strong, tough

Lekona is exactly what you think when you think "cool dad"; he's suave, easy to talk to, and loves to settle things over a pint.

**Strengths**: Nothing that can't kill him can take him down.

**Flaws**: He's a little full of himself and overconfident.

EKDL

_Generally, this story is meant for those over the age of 12 due to mild language, the use of alcohol, and some heavier themes. Some chapters will be appropriate for younger children to read, but parents, it's best to read through each chapter yourself and decide on whether or not you think it's appropriate for your kiddos._


	2. The Dogfish Sharks

_Disclaimer: Octonauts belongs to Meomi and its creators, Michael Murphy and Vicki Wong. I own my original characters. Additional original characters also belong to Seagull (friend), and bean_beanboy (bro)._

_This story was inspired by my Girl Guide leaders' two kids, so shout out to Jack and Heidi :)_

_Since this was written with young kids in mind (rather than this story's target audience of tweens and teens), this chapter is rated All Ages instead of the usual 12 and up._

BKPSDITTEKDL

It was late in the afternoon, and the Octonauts were working when a sweet smell began wafting throughout the Octopod.

"Tunip must be baking kelp cakes," said Captain Barnacles with a chuckle.

He was right; down in the kitchen, Tunip and the Vegimals were hard at work, baking batch upon batch of kelp cakes. They chirped and sang in their merry Vegimal way.

Unbeknownst to them, the smells were getting outside, and nearby critters were stopping in their tracks to enjoy the delicious scent. One creature in particular, a slender little shark, was so entranced that he began looking for a way inside the Octopod. She eventually nosed the Octo-Hatch open, damaging her pointed snout in the process, got inside, and surfaced in the Launch Bay. One might imagine the surprise on Tweak and Elekai's faces to see a little shark inside the Octopod!

"Cap," said Tweak into the intercom, "there's a shark in the Launch Bay!"

Captain Barnacles raised an eyebrow. "In the Launch Bay? The Octo-Hatch isn't big enough for a shark to get in."

"Well, there is, sir," said Elekai, moving to the side as to show the captain. "I think she's hurt, sir."

Seeing the shark splashing in the Launch Bay with scratches on her snout was evidence enough to convince Captain Barnacles that they were telling the truth. "Dashi, sound the Octo-Alert." Dashi nodded and pressed the button.

"Octonauts, to the launch bay!"

The Octo-Alert blared throughout the Octopod, and the crew rushed to the launch bay and crowded around the little shark, who was yelping and whimpering.

"How'd this li'l fella get inside the Octopod?" Kwazii asked.

"She must'a pushed the Octo-Hatch open somehow," said Tweak.

"Her nose is all scratched up," said Deborah, pointing at her injured snout.

"We're going to have to bring her to the sick bay," said Peso, reaching to pick up the little shark.

"_Wait!_" Shellington yelled. Luckily, Peso pulled back just in time.

"Don't touch me!" The shark bared her teeth and snapped at him.

"This is a dogfish shark. They have strong jaws and sharp teeth." Shellington flipped through his book. "Even if she didn't bite you, they've got toxic venom in their skin."

"If we can't touch her, how are we going to bring her to the sick bay?" Kitsune asked, twitching her nose.

"We'll find some buckets and start a brigade," said Captain Barnacles. "Octonauts, let's do this!"

BKPSDITTEKDL

The bucket brigade began. It started with Kitsune, who coaxed the shark into a little metal bucket. She passed the bucket on to Kwazii, who hopped up the stairs into HQ and passed it on to Lekona. Lekona rushed across the room to pass it on to Dashi, who slid down the Octo-Chute into the hallway and passed it on to Deborah. Deborah blitzed through the hallway and passed it on to Shellington, who brought it into the sick bay and passed it on to Peso, who freed the little shark into the sick bay tank.

"So, how did you get inside the Octopod?" Peso asked, hoping that asking questions would ease the little shark's nerves.

"I smelled something sweet and tried to find it," said the little shark. "The big chute was shut tight, but I still got in."

"Dogfish sharks are very strong. Even their young can hunt prey that's two or even three times larger than themselves." Shellington looked up from his book. "They normally go after fish, such as herring, mackerel, and capelin."

"My family's probably looking for me," said the little shark. "We're all over the place here."

Shellington nodded along. "Dogfish sharks are commonly found in waters from Nova Scotia all the way down to Florida. It's not unlikely that she and her family live here, off the coast of Sheet Harbour."

"I've lived my whole life in the Atlantic," said the little shark. "I can't bear to go anywhere else."

Just then, something began ramming into the Octopod. Up in HQ, they could see a family of dogfish sharks knocking against the glass windows surrounding the area.

Captain Barnacles turned on the outside speaker. "Attention, sharks. Please stop hitting our ship."

"Give us back Lydia!" The leader of the group yelled.

"_Lydia must be the shark from the launch bay,_" he thought. "Your friend is in our sick bay. She'll be along as soon as her snout is patched up."

The leader snarled, which gave Captain Barnacles the feeling that they'd better give Lydia back to her family or else there would be trouble. He paged the sick bay. "Peso, is your patient ready to go?"

"Just a moment, Captain," chirped Peso. Lydia was finally calm, and he was able to bandage up her nose. Now his only worry was getting her back to the launch bay and into open waters, as he didn't want to bother the others into doing another bucket brigade. He got the idea to tag-team with Kitsune. He coaxed Lydia into the bucket, and both medics carefully brought it down to the launch bay.

In the launch bay, Kitsune let Lydia into the tank. Just before Tweak could open the Octo-Hatch, Tunip toddled into the area, carrying a kelp cake. He chirped and passed in to Lydia, who wolfed it down.

"Thanks for everything, Octonauts," said Lydia, just before swimming out of the Octopod and back into the port of Sheet Harbour with her family.

BKPSDITTEKDL

Back in HQ, the sweet smell of the kelp cakes was fading.

"Oh, Peso," queried Shellington, "did that little shark ever get that kelp cake she was after?"

As he asked this, the family swam by. "We've gotta find these guys another time," said Lydia. "Their little spongy sweet things hit the spot!"

The Octonauts all burst out laughing at this statement, and went about their business.

BKPSDITTEKDL (Report of Creatures time)

"Calling all Octonauts!"

"Kwazii!"  
"Peso!"  
"Shellington!"  
"Dashi!"  
"Inkling!"  
"Tweak!"  
"Juniors!"

…

"Tunip!"

Captain Barnacles chuckled and put Tunip down. "Kwazii, activate Creature Report!"

"Creature Report, Creature Report!"

"Creature Report!" (clap clap clap)

"Facts: Dogfish sharks are rather tough."

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Check!"

"Even though they're quite small stuff."

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Bree!"

"They've got strong jaws with sharp teeth within…" (Creature Report, Creature Report)

"…and toxic venom in their skin." (Creature Report, Creature Report)

"From Canada down to the USA…"

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Chirp!"

"You can find these sharks going along their merry way!"

"Dance break!"

(insert dance break here)

"Go sharky! Go sharky! Go sharky! Creature Report, Creature Report!"

"Creature Report!"

"We're done with our mission! Octonauts, at ease, until the next adventure!"

BKPSDITTEKDL

_Info about the dogfish shark taken from Wikipedia and NOAA Fisheries (ALSO I FOUND OUT FROM THE CREDITS OF THE NEW MOVIE THAT THE ACTUAL SHOW USES NOAA AS A SOURCE TOO? I FEEL SO VALIDATED :D)_

_Info about Sheet Harbour taken of Port of Halifax_


	3. Haddock, Rising Seas, and Gloria

_Disclaimer: Refer to "The Dogfish Sharks"._

_I've become a regular on the wiki and within five days, I'm already #4 on the leaderboard._

_Anyway, I'd like to clarify now that this story will be a mix of stories structured like episodes (like the previous one), and stories that are just the crew hanging out. This story is of the latter variety. Note that stories that are primarily just the crew hanging out do not have Creature Reports._

BKPSDITTEKDL

"We're now entering the Wilkinson Basin," said Dashi, as the Octopod drove through the waters of the Gulf of Maine.

"Excellent, Dashi," said Captain Barnacles. "Steady as she goes."

Over on the other side of HQ, Deborah, Lekona, and the Vegimals were looking out the window, watching a school of fish swim about.

"That's a school of haddock," said Deborah. "Gloria from school saw them when her family went on vacation to the Bay of Fundy."

"I think that's a school of Atlantic cod," said Lekona. "See, they're all mottled."

"But they have a black thumbprint on their side," argued Deborah, annoyed, "so they're haddock."

"No way, those are too big to be haddock," said Lekona. "Haddock are only about a foot long. They're cod."

"Haddock can be up to three feet and seven pounds." Deborah pouted. All the while, the Vegimals chattered innocently.

"Tell you what." Lekona got up from the table. "I'll settle it with you over a pint."

"Lekona, she's under twenty-one, she can't drink here," said Captain Barnacles, matter-of-factly.

"Alright," said Lekona. He turned around and saw Shellington approaching them. "How 'bout you? You wanna settle it over a pint?"

"I'm under twenty-one too," he said, "and she's right. Those are haddock."

Deborah beamed and twitched her nose, feeling validated, and Lekona raised his eyebrows. "Really? Damn, I thought for sure you were twenty-three."

"No, I'm only twenty, but I'll be twenty-one in November." Shellington blushed and twitched his nose. He felt a little self-conscious about admitting how young he was, but he was a rule-follower and didn't want to break the law. "But it doesn't matter, because I don't drink period."

"Neither do I," said Deborah. "One time in Girl Guides, Gloria and I were volunteering as clean-up for the Highland Games Festival, and I swear, the entire field we were at smelled. Like. Beer. It stunk; figuratively and literally."

"I'm glad we see eye to eye on that," said Shellington, who was happy to know he wasn't alone in his refusal to consume alcohol. Deborah giggled.

"My god, you two are missing out." Lekona shook his head.

"I'm glad we dressed light," said Dashi. "This area is one of the world's fastest-warming ocean ecosystems."

"Global warming, eh?" Lekona shook his head. "Aw, that's a shame."

"They set up a climate center here," said Dashi, a bit annoyed about being interrupted. "They hope to educate others on ocean warming and help nearby communities deal with rising sea levels."

"Gloria from school started a clean-up campaign at our school after she came back from the Bay of Fundy," said Deborah. "She was really upset at all the trash everywhere."

"Good on her." Shellington slid into the seat next to her. "It's always nice to hear about people caring for sea life."

"When did you say your birthday was?" Deborah asked.

"Uh, November 20th," said Shellington. He was feeling a bit fluttery inside, being around Deborah. He then trailed off, focused instead on counting how many haddocks were in the school.

"Kid, you have the attention span of a moth." Lekona chuckled, twitching his nose. Shellington clenched his jaw and averted eye contact.

"Lekona, stop pissing people off," said Captain Barnacles without turning around.

Lekona, admitting defeat, got up to leave HQ, while Shellington was once again distracted as Tunip climbed into his lap. He pet his stem, which helped calm his nerves.

"I'm willing to take you up on that pint offer," said Kwazii. He and Lekona left just as Tweak entered.

"The climate center here aims also to increase public access to sea level rise data," said Dashi, hoping that maybe this time the others would listen.

"That's pretty useful," said Tweak, coming up behind Dashi. "At the speed this planet's warming, it might not be long before the nearby cities are basically swamps."

"Not to mention the increased and intensifying storms and precipitation," said Dashi.

"Gloria from school would always get so annoyed when she got her shoes wet," said Deborah. "She was always such a grouch during New Brunswick's flood season."

"Flood season?" Shellington cocked his head. "Do floods occur often where you're from?"

Deborah nodded. "Usually in April. All the snow is melting, and it's raining a lot, and then the river overflows. Sometimes it floods so much, our school bus had to take a different route."

"Buzzagodifway?" Tunip chattered.

"Yeah, our bus went a different way." Deborah fiddled with one of her pigtails. "I think at least one bus had to be cancelled altogether. I heard the rumour from-"

"Let me guess; Gloria from school?" Captain Barnacles asked, having heard the name at least a dozen times since Deborah had first arrived on the Octopod.

Deborah looked at him. "No, Mabel."

Captain Barnacles' eyes widened. He sighed and shook his head. "I can't keep track of all these damn friends of yours…"

BKPSDITTEKDL

_Info about the Gulf of Maine taken from Wikipedia and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute_

_Info about haddock and Atlantic cod taken from NOAA Fisheries_

_Confirmation on whether or not haddock live in the Bay of Fundy taken from Fisheries and Oceans Canada_

_Body language tips taken from Betterhelp_

_Info about New Brunswick's flood season taken from GNB and personal experience (I'm from New Brunswick)_


	4. The Lost Loon

_Disclaimer: Refer to "The Dogfish Sharks"._

_I'm #1 on the leaderboard now, so that's cool._

BKPSDITTEKDL

"Dashi to Octopod; we've arrived safely at the campsite." She, her sister Koshi, and Deborah dismounted the Octo-Ski at the dock of Camp Chiplaquorgan, where Deborah's older sister Margaret was waiting with her Girl Guide troop.

"Excellent, Dashi," said Captain Barnacles. "We'll check back with you on Sunday." The connection to the Octopod then was cut off.

"I'm glad you guys could join us," said Margaret. "Koshi, you're going to love Camp Chip."

Koshi beamed. "I brought the 32nd Donna Doxi book for the occasion; _The Curious Case of Camp Candytuft_!" She went to join the other Guides.

Margaret smiled, and turned to her little sister. "How has life as an Octonaut been treating you?"

"It's been great," said Deborah. "I'm working as a junior field researcher. I spend a lot of my time identifying creatures from a book and looking at test slides under a microscope."

"How about that mentor of yours? Sheldon, wasn't it?" Margaret asked, occasionally glancing over her shoulder to make sure the Guides were okay.

Deborah wrung her hands and averted eye contact. "Well…he's very sweet. He helps me with my training, and sometimes he watches my shows with me, and…" She put her hands on her cheeks and giggled.

Dashi chuckled. "Crush on her co-worker," she explained to Margaret, who also laughed before bringing her troop inside to the cabin. The Guides all picked out which bunks they would sleep in.

"Do me a favour," whispered Margaret to Deborah, "and make sure to keep a close eye on Amanda and Michelle." She pointed towards an antelope and malamute duo, who were giggling with each other. "They get lost easily." Deborah nodded.

Once everyone had set up their bedrolls, they went back outside and into the field, where they began a game of Fishes and Whales. About halfway through, they heard a chirping noise. Ever the curious ones, Amanda and Michelle went out onto the gravel.

"Mags!" Michelle called to Margaret. "There's a bird on the water!" The group followed them, and sure enough, a black bird were swimming close to the dock with three chicks on her back.

"That's a loon," said Deborah. "They're pretty common on the Oromocto Lake. One time, when I was a Guide, my friend Donna found one when we were canoeing."

"Let's leave her alone with her babies," said Margaret, shooing the girls back into the field.

BKPSDITTEKDL

The sun began to rise over the Oromocto Lake. A gentle breeze was blowing, and things were quiet…until a loud squawking erupted from the lake, alerting the Guides and leaders. They all rushed out to see what was wrong.

"My baby! My baby!" The mother loon shrieked.

Dashi and Deborah gently approached the mother. "What happened to your baby?" Dashi asked.

"I'm supposed to have three chicks; Luna, Luz, and Lucas," said the mother loon. "But Luna is missing!"

Deborah popped her head up and scanned the lake. "I can't see her anywhere on the water," she told Dashi. She lowered herself back down to the mother loon's level. "It's okay. We'll find your baby."

Dashi put a call in to the Octopod. "Dashi to Octopod."

"Octopod here," said Captain Barnacles. "Go ahead, Dashi."

"We've got a missing baby loon out on the lake," informed Dashi.

"She could be in danger!" Amanda piped up from behind them.

"Understood. We'll send you some help." Captain Barnacles pressed the Octo-Alert button.

"Octonauts, to the launch bay!"

All of the Octonauts, who were also just rustling out of bed, rushed to the launch bay.

"Octonauts, a baby loon has gone missing somewhere on the Oromocto Lake."

"She can't feed herself!" The mother loon wailed. "She'll go hungry!"

"She's right, Captain," said Professor Inkling. "Baby loons don't learn to feed themselves until they're about six weeks old."

"I reckon Peso an' I could find her," said Kwazii. He and Peso both entered the GUP-E. Tweak opened the Octo-Hatch, and they went out on the way to Oromocto Lake.

BKPSDITTEKDL

"What's your name?" Peso asked the mother loon.

"Luisa," she said softly.

"What does your baby look like?"

"She has fluffy brown feathers and dark eyes," said Luisa, "and a white mark on her beak."

"It's best you keep your other chicks on the shore," said Dashi. "If they wander off, we might mistake them for the missing one." The mother loon nodded and shooed her two remaining chicks onto the dock.

"It may take a while to find the missing chick," said Deborah. "This lake is 116 meters."

"That doesn't sound too far," said Kwazii.

"That's 381 feet," said Deborah, in a deadpan tone.

"_Yeow!_ That _is_ far!" Kwazii exclaimed.

"If she disappeared in the night, she could be on the other side of the lake by now," said Peso, scanning the lake from next to Deborah.

"We'll split up," said Dashi. "Kwazii and I will take the Octo-Ski across the left side of the lake, Peso can take the GUP-E across the right side, and Deborah will keep an eye on the other two chicks to make sure we don't lose them too." They all nodded, and went off to do their respective jobs.

BKPSDITTEKDL

"This is odd," said Shellington, whom Deborah had on call from the Octo-Pad. "Normally, loons only lay two eggs at a time. How does this one have three?"

"Oh, I got lost," said Luz. "I climbed onto the wrong back, and they just kept me."

Shellington blinked, surprised at her bluntness. "…Alright. Uh, what happened to your mother?"

"I don't know. I guess she moved on with her life," said Luz, unbothered.

Shellington nodded. Even though it was rather unprofessional, he decided to make his move on Deborah. "So, uh, did you get enough beauty sleep?"

"There were about fifteen preteen girls with cheesy junior novels in the room next to mine," said Deborah, in a cranky tone. "What do you think?"

"...Oh, okay, sorry..." Shellington quieted down.

Lucas huffed. "We've been waiting here for fifty million years."

"It's been two hours," said Deborah.

"Same thing," said Lucas.

Just then, the three other Octonauts returned. All of them were empty-handed. "We searched the whole lake," said Peso, "but she's just not anywhere."

"What?!" Luisa cried. "She has to be on this lake somewhere!"

Kwazii shook his head. "She isn't on the left or the right. Where the hell else could she be on this goddamn lake?"

Dashi elbowed him. "Stop swearing, there are little kids here."

"Well, great," said Deborah. "Now what are we gonna do?"

Behind her, Amanda and Michelle were wandering along the shore when they heard a little chirp almost identical to the one they heard the previous night. They followed the noise into a patch of long grass in the water. Amanda stuck her head in. Staring back at her was the missing loon chick.

"_Mags!_" She hollered. "I found the chick!" All the adults rushed over to them. Michelle presented them with Luna.

"Well, I'll be a sea monkey's uncle," said Kwazii. "It _is _her! How'd ya do it?!"

"We followed her call," said Amanda. "Mags told us that loons make a very distinct sound." Luna hopped out of Michelle's hands and went to join her family. The baby loons climbed onto their mother's back as she swam away. Margaret watched until they were out of sight.

BKPSDITTEKDL

It was now after lunch. Everyone was out by the lake.

"Isn't that awesome? We helped save the day!" Amanda and Michelle cheered to each other.

"You did a great job," said Dashi. "I bet you two will be great animal rescuers someday."

The other Octonauts were sitting on the dock. "Stand back, maties," said Kwazii. "I'm goin' in." He stepped back, then lunged forward and flipped into the lake. Unfortunately, he had not been informed that the lake water was very, _very_ cold. Almost immediately, he burst out of the water and shrieked. "_OH GOD! JESUS!" _He screeched._ "THAT WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA!" _Everyone around him laughed.

BKPSDITTEKDL (y'all know what time it is)

"Calling all Octonauts!"

"Kwazii!"  
"Peso!"  
"Shellington!"  
"Dashi!"  
"Inkling!"  
"Tweak!"  
"Juniors!"

…

"Tunip!"

Captain Barnacles chuckled and put Tunip down. "Kwazii, activate Creature Report!"

"Creature Report, Creature Report!"

"Creature Report!" (clap clap clap)

"Facts: Loons live on Oromocto Lake."

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Check!"

"They're known for the unique sounds they make."

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Bree!"

"They ride around atop their mother's back…" (Creature Report, Creature Report)

"…till they learn to dive and get their own snacks." (Creature Report, Creature Report)

"If you need to find one in a pinch…"

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Chirp!"

"Just give them a call and they'll be there in a cinch!"

"Dance break!"

(insert dance break here)

"Go loon! Go loon! Go loon! Creature Report, Creature Report!"

"Creature Report!"

"We're done with our mission! Octonauts, at ease, until the next adventure!"

BKPSDITTEKDL

_Info about the loon taken from All About Birds, Hinterland Who's Who, and Wikipedia_

_Info about Oromocto Lake taken from Mapcarta_

_Info on Girl Guides and Camp Chiplaquorgan taken from ten years of experience as a Girl Guide_

BKPSDITTEKDL (bonus scene!)

It was lunchtime on Sunday when Dashi and Deborah returned to the Octopod. Deborah entered the lab looking tired.

"What's up, love?" Shellington greeted her, then instantly cringed. _"Shouldn't have called her_ 'love'..."

"Sleepy," said Deborah. "I always wake up early at Guide camp. And I'm sorry I got snippy with you on the dock."

"Oh, it's fine..." Shellington trailed off as he realized that Deborah had slumped over. She had fallen asleep standing up. He chuckled, picked her up, and brought her to her bed.


	5. The Short-Nosed Sea Snake

_Disclaimer: Refer to "The Dogfish Sharks"._

_This is my first shot at a flashback chapter; a chapter that takes place before the beginning of the series. If you guys like this, I can certainly do more and flesh out the history of the Octonauts._

_Note that during the past portion of the story, italics are to indicate dialogue from the present._

BKPSDITTEKDL

It was a cool evening under the sea. Captain Barnacles was going around the Octopod, making sure everything was in order, when he heard laughing coming from the Game Pod. He went to investigate and found the younger Octonauts gathered in there with blankets and pillows, in a pseudo-sleepover sort of event, watching Kwazii do a funny pirate dance. Just as he finished, he noticed the captain standing behind him. "Uh, evening, Captain."

"Good evening," said Captain Barnacles. "Why are you all sleeping on the floor in here?"

"Uh, Deborah suggested we could have one of those sleepover things, sir," said Elekai.

Captain Barnacles cocked an eyebrow. "Alright…"

"Kwazii was telling us a funny story from his pirate days," said Tweak.

"I see," said Captain Barnacles. "You know, I have a lot of good stories from when I was young." He saw everyone's eyes widen in curiosity. "Do you want to hear one?" They all nodded in unison. He chuckled and pulled up a chair while the younger Octonauts all crowded around him.

RCVANIB (blast to the past)

"_It was many years ago, back when I was only a junior lieutenant."_

Twenty-nine years in the past, the Octo-Base was stationed off the coast of Western Australia. Young Barnacles was stationed in HQ.

"_I was being trained with the computers by the communications officer, Niall."_

"This button activates manual steering," said Niall. "The captain uses this when the ship is out of control and the regular controls aren't working."

Almost on cue, Captain Riviera came into HQ. "How are things going along here, Niall?"

"Very good, Captain," said Niall. He checked the water outside. "Hmm…the water outside is abnormally salty."

"_Just then, we saw a snake swimming around in the shallow water close to the surface, flicking its tongue about."_

"That little fella seems to enjoy it," said Barnacles.

"We should investigate," said Captain Riviera, going down to the Launch Zone.

"_So Captain Riviera took her finest crewmates out to find that snake."_

RCVANIB

Outside, Captain Riviera, alongside her lieutenant Caspian and field researcher Atlantis, swam into the shallow waters to find the snake. They found him slithering towards the surface for air. The Octonauts followed his lead and came up to land on an island near the Ashmore Reef. Imagine that snake's surprise to see a Rottweiler, mountain cat, and badger looming over him!

"Don't be frightened, little fella." Captain Riviera said to the snake. "We're the Octonauts. Who are you?"

"I'm a short-nosed sea snake," said the snake, "but you can call me Shorty."

"_Short-nosed sea snake? Those haven't been seen in almost twenty years! You met a species believed to be extinct and I never heard about it?!"_

"_Yes, Shellington, now settle down and listen."_

"_Oh…okay."_

"We saw you flicking your tongue in the water," said Caspian.

"Well, of course," said Shorty. "It's salty. I love salt."

"Of course!" Atlantis exclaimed. "Short-nosed sea snakes have a special gland under their tongues that absorbs excess salt from seawater."

Captain Riviera noticed that Shorty was itching and wiggling. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," said Shorty. "I'm just gonna be moulting soon."

"Spellbinding! I've never seen this type of snake moult before," said Atlantis. "Is it alright if we take you back to the Octo-Base?"

"_Octo-Base?"_

"_It was our first home, before the Octopod."_

"Eh, I don't see why not," said Shorty.

Captain Riviera nodded and took out her Octo-Compass. She pressed the Octo-Alert button.

"Octonauts, to the HQ!"

The Octo-Alert blared throughout the Octo-Base, and all of the Octonauts rushed to HQ.

"Octonauts, this is Shorty the short-nosed sea snake."

"Howdy," said Shorty.

"He's going to moult soon, and we've invited him to stay here while he does so."

RCVANIB

"_We brought the snake to the Octo-Base's lab."_

In the lab, Shorty was placed in a tank, where he began to wiggle out of his old skin. Atlantis, Barnacles, and the medic Verdun watched, intrigued. After some squirming, Shorty was free of his old layer of skin.

"Enchanting!" Atlantis was furiously writing down notes on her notebook.

"_Why did Atlantis always talk like it was magic and not basic science? I've always found that odd._"

"Are_ you going to interrupt every two minutes?_"

_"...No, sir."_

Verdun picked up the old skin. "'Is skin is scaly."

"I'm a snake," said Shorty. "That's how our skin is, buddy. I'm mostly brown, but see, my buddy Pipsqueak, now she's a sight. She's got purple scales."

"Scaly, 60 centimeters, lives in Australian waters, brown or purple…" Atlantis looked over all of her notes. "This is great research!"

"Well, I'm glad I could help you, ma'am," said Shorty.

RCVANIB

Later that day, after Shorty had left to go back to his home, the Octonauts were gathered in HQ, where Atlantis was excitedly adding all of the information she learned that day to her creature book.

"Today was a good day for you, eh?" Caspian asked.

"Of course," said Atlantis. "My hope is that when my time with this team is up, the next field researcher will inherit this book and will have all the information I found about creatures they may never get to see."

"I hope zat ze next field researcher aboard zis ship is, how you say..." Verdun paused and mumbled to himself in French for a moment. "...magnificent."

BKPSDITTEKDL (back to the present)

"It's not the most exciting story ever…" Captain Barnacles' voice trailed off as he noticed that all of the younger Octonauts were sound asleep. He smiled and lowered his voice. "But I'll never forget how happy Atlantis was that night, and I'm very glad that she got her wish. Good night." He got up and left the Game Pod.

RCVANIB (old school Creature Report!)

"Calling all Octonauts!"

"Caspian!"  
"Verdun!"  
"Atlantis!"  
"Niall!"  
"Inkling!"  
"Barnacles!"

"Full attendance! Caspian, activate Creature Report!"

"Creature Report, Creature Report!"

"Places, everyone! Facts: Short-nosed sea snakes love salt."

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Check!"

"Their tongue glands help to collect it all."

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Check!"

"Every month or so, they start to shed…" (Creature Report, Creature Report)

"…and get new skin from tail to head." (Creature Report, Creature Report)

"Australia is where they're found…"

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Check!"

"Two hours under water till they have to get to ground!"

"Dance break!"

(insert dance break here)

"Go snake! Go snake! Go snake! Creature Report, Creature Report!"

"We're done with our mission! Octonauts, at ease, until the next adventure!"

BKPSDITTEKDL

_Information about the short-nosed sea snake taken from Australian Geographic_

_Information about Ashmore Reef taken from Wikipedia_


	6. Anime

_Disclaimer: Refer to "The Dogfish Sharks"._

_No, this story does not have a schedule. Writing fanfiction is something I do for fun, and I get writers block easily, so I write and upload when I can. I hope that's okay with you :)._

KD

"_Splash pad at attention! Move out!"_

Deborah bounced excitedly as she watched the newest episode of her favourite anime, _Intergalactic Imogen_. She was so excited to finally see Imogen use her magic to breathe underwater alongside the Water Protector, Saskia.

"_Activate water power!_"

Deborah clenched her fists and flicked her wrists close to her face. She had been hyped for this moment all week!

On the screen, Imogen twirled her staff. Jets of water surrounded her as her uniform transformed into the Water Protector's uniform.

"_Imogen, ready to go!_"

"Oi, wha's with all the shouting in here?" Kwazii entered the room, curious about the noise.

"It's the new episode of my anime," said Deborah.

Kwazii was confused. "What's that one girl in it goin' on about?"

"_Oh boy, it's education time,_" thought Deborah. "It's called _Intergalactic Imogen_. It's about an organization of magical girls called Galaxy Protectors living in an outer space base who go down to Earth to solve problems and help those in need. Betty from school got me into it."

"…Alright." Kwazii shrugged it off and turned to leave.

"The main character just mastered her water magic, and now she's gonna go underwater to rescue the rest of her team."

Kwazii turned back around, and only then did he notice that Deborah was holding a plush of the main character; an orange cat. "Hey, let me in on this." He sat down next to her to watch the events unfold.

_"Imogen! Help us!" _The rest of the Galaxy Protectors yelled from the trench they were trapped in.

"If this is from Japan, why do they all have English names?"

"Uh, sometimes when they dub anime into English, they give the characters English names to go along with it. I think Imogen was called Izumi in the original Japanese version."

"_Magic Bubble Action!_" Imogen created an air bubble to lift her teammates out of the trench. She and the bubble blasted towards the surface. In the air, the bubble popped, and the remaining Galaxy Protectors regained their flight.

"_Excellent! You're moving up in the world!_" Saskia shouted.

Imogen twirled in a circle and posed with the peace sign to her forehead and her hand on her hip. "_Intergalactic!_"

"Why do all the people in your animes always do those little poses when they do stuff?" Kwazii asked as the credits began to roll.

"It's not _animes_, it's just anime." Deborah closed the Chewybun tab. "And _k__awaii _poses are kind of a staple of the genre."

"What's a _kawaii_?" Kwazii cocked an eyebrow.

"It means cute," said Deborah.

Kwazii shrugged and got up. "You and that Betty girl are into some weird things." He left.

Deborah pouted. _"Wait until he finds the fanfiction..."_

KD

_Shorter chapter, I know, but it happens._

_Yes, Chewybun is a reference to Crunchyroll._


	7. Kitsune Fox in Hat Trouble

_Disclaimer: Refer to "The Dogfish Sharks"._

BKPSDITTEKDL

On a fair morning, Kitsune was calmly humming to herself as she organized a load of laundry; her chore for the day. She was just finishing up with the hats, and counting them. However, she only counted eight hats. One was missing.

"_Where could it be?_" Kitsune thought to herself. There was only one way to find out; search the Octopod. She picked up the remaining hats to return to the other Octonauts and went on her hunt.

BKPSDITTEKDL

**First stop: HQ**

Kitsune entered HQ through the Octo-Chute. "Captain, have you seen a hat kicking around? I'm missing one."

"I don't think I have," said Captain Barnacles.

"It's one of the standard ones," said Kitsune, handing the captain his hat. "If you do see it somewhere, that would be a great help."

BKPSDITTEKDL

**Second stop: Launch Bay**

Kitsune stepped down the ladder into the Launch Bay. "Tweak, dear, have you seen a missing hat in here?"

"I don't wear a hat," said Tweak. "Why would I take it?"

"Well, one of them is missing. I have to look everywhere." Kitsune shrugged and tossed Elekai his hat.

BKPSDITTEKD

**Third stop: Lekona's Bedroom**

Kitsune entered Lekona's bedroom, where he was straightening the photos on his wall. "Lekona, did you put your hat in the wash?"

"Yes, I did." Lekona turned around. "Why?"

"One's missing," said Kitsune. "I have to scour the entire Octopod for it, now." She handed him his hat.

"I see." Lekona put his hat back on and looked at one of the photos. "You like it? It's me and my wife on our wedding day."

Kitsune smiled, feeling nostalgic for her own wedding. "Yes, I do…"

BKPSDITTEKDL

**Fourth stop: Deborah's Bedroom**

Deborah was organizing her books when Kitsune came to talk to her.

"Deborah, dear…" Kitsune trailed off.

Deborah turned around. "That's my name, don't wear it out."

"No, wait," said Kitsune. "I saw you put your hat in the wash."

Deborah nodded, and slipped her copy of _Ninja Idol _into its proper shelf. "See, I organized my books by genre. Textbooks go on the top right, novels on the top middle, manga on the top left…"

BKPSDITTEKDL

**Fifth stop: The Hallway**

As she was exiting Deborah's bedroom, Kitsune ran into Dashi.

"Oh, sorry," said Kitsune.

"It's fine," said Dashi. "I've had Koshi on the phone with me while I was tidying up my room. She was raving about...whatever number _Murmurs on the Pacific Express_ is in the Donna Doxi serial."

"That's nice," said Kitsune. "Have you seen a lost hat anywhere?"

"No, I haven't," said Dashi. "But I did see one of the Vegimals walking around with a hat a few minutes ago."

"Where was he headed?" Kitsune asked.

"I believe he was going to the lab," said Dashi.

BKPSDITTEKDL

**Sixth stop: The Lab**

Kitsune entered the lab. Inside, Shellington was sanitizing his lab equipment, while the Vegimals were "helping". Kitsune noticed that he was already wearing his hat.

"Shellington, dear," she asked, "did one of the Vegimals come in here with a hat?"

"Yes," he said. "Tunip came in here with it just a moment ago. He says he got it from you."

"But I never gave him…" Kitsune trailed off as she realized; Tunip must have taken the hat while she wasn't looking. She knew her son Ichiro did something similar; whenever his favourite shirt went through the wash, he always took it out of the pile before she could fold it and put it away. She laughed. "Next time, ask the Vegimals if they asked before they took something, you goof!"

Shellington stiffened up, but mustered an awkward smile and nodded. "Alright…"

BKPSDITTEKDL

_I don't know what to put for the outro so pineapple waffle._


	8. Midnight Emergency

_Disclaimer: We're ten chapters in, you should know this by now._

"_**Which one is your favourite?"  
"PAW Patrol!"  
**__ \- Me showing my three-year-old cousin Octonauts on my phone_

_Also shout to my brother who is also named Finn :)_

BKPSDITTEKDL

It was a peaceful afternoon under the sea. The Octopod was stationed in the Western North Atlantic Ocean. Down in the launch bay, Tweak was inside the GUP-E, showing Elekai how to change the GUP's batteries.

"The battery is in here," said Tweak, removing the battery from the GUP. "You bring it over to the battery charger, and replace it with a new one."

Elekai nodded and went to pick up a freshly charged battery. He dragged it out of the charger and over to the dock where the GUP was stationed. "These things are heavy," he said. He lifted it into the GUP, where Tweak pushed it into the battery slot.

"That should do it," said Tweak. "I'm glad we got to this now. Last time I procrastinated on changing the GUP-E's battery, I got Peso trapped in a crevasse."

BKPSDITTEKDL

Up in HQ, a loud whale call was heard. "Do you hear that?" Lekona asked. Everyone looked out of the window. Outside, two whales, one humpback and one fin, were approaching the Octopod.

"Ahoy, Octonauts!" The humpback called.

"Oi, it's our old friend Mitch!" Kwazii went to the window.

"This is my new buddy, Finn," said Mitch.

"Hullo," said Finn.

"We're going to the feeding grounds," said Mitch. "I saw your ship and figured I'd drop in."

"I hear the krill is great this time of year," said Finn. "Perfect for us filter-feeders."

"Nice to see you again," said Captain Barnacles. Mitch and Finn swam off.

BKPSDITTEKDL

About half an hour later, the Octonauts heard a call for help, and saw Finn swimming back towards the Octopod.

"Is something the matter?" Captain Barnacles asked.

"Our pal Blanche got hurt on the feeding ground," said Finn. "Mitch told me to come find you, since I'm the fast one."

"We're gonna help you," said Captain Barnacles. "Kwazii, sound the Octo-Alert." Kwazii pressed the Octo-Alert button.

"Octonauts, to the launch bay!"

The Octo-Alert blared throughout the Octopod, and the Octonauts all rushed to the launch bay.

"Octonauts, our new whale friend Finn has found an injured dolphin out on their feeding grounds. Peso, you take the GUP-E. Kwazii, Elekai; you and me. GUP-A. Now."

"Sir yes sir!" Captain Barnacles, Kwazii, and Elekai entered the GUP-A, while Peso prepped the GUP-E. They exited the Octopod, where Finn was waiting for them.

"The feeding ground is this way," said Finn, showing them the way. The Octonauts went to the feeding ground, where Mitch, a few other whales, and Blanche, an Atlantic white-sided dolphin, were waiting for them.

Peso exited the GUP-E and approached the dolphin. "Don't worry, Miss Blanche. My name's Peso. What's wrong?"

Blanche showed him her tail, which had a pretty nasty bruise; so much that Kwazii and even Elekai winced upon seeing it. "Can you fix it?"

"Of course," said Peso. He took out his handy dandy bandages and wrapped up her tail. "How did you get hurt?"

"She got distracted and ran into a rock," said Mitch.

"I saw something sparkle," said Blanche. She pointed in the direction of the object. Elekai exited the GUP-A, and he and Peso went to investigate. After digging in the sand for a bit, they found the shiny object; a pale-yellow pearl necklace.

"It's beautiful," said Peso. "I wonder where it came from."

"It could use a polish," said Elekai.

BKPSDITTEKDL

Back at the Octopod, Elekai had fixed up the necklace and turned it into two bracelets. He swam outside to present them to Finn and Blanche.

"You're all sent from the heavens," cooed Blanche.

"It's nice to have my fin looking fabulous," said Finn.

The Octonauts all laughed. All was well again under the sea.

BKPSDITTEKDL

"Calling all Octonauts!"

"Kwazii!"  
"Peso!"  
"Shellington!"  
"Dashi!"  
"Inkling!"  
"Tweak!"  
"Juniors!"

…

"Tunip!"

Captain Barnacles chuckled and put Tunip down. "Kwazii, activate Creature Report!"

"Creature Report, Creature Report!"

"Creature Report!" (clap clap clap)

"Facts: Fin whales filter-feed."

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Check!"

"They're known for their incredible speed."

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Bree!"

"They're seventy-five feet from head to tail…" (Creature Report, Creature Report)

"…and feed alongside dolphins and whales." (Creature Report, Creature Report)

"And as for their claim to fame…"

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Chirp!"

"The distinctive fin on their back is where they get their name!"

"Dance break!"

(insert dance break here)

"Go whale! Go whale! Go whale! Creature Report, Creature Report!"

"Creature Report!"

"We're done with our mission! Octonauts, at ease, until the next adventure!"

BKPSDITTEKDL

_Information about the fin whale taken from NOAA Fisheries_


	9. Back to School

_Disclaimer: Refer to "The Dogfish Sharks"._

**_Trigger Warning:_**_ Those who have haemophobia/are generally grossed out by blood are recommended to skip this chapter._

PLGQ

_Twelve years earlier…_

It was a chilly September day; but then, all days in Antarctica are chilly. It was the first day of school. Ten little penguins left for school at half past nine and walked together in two straight lines. Trailing behind was the smallest one; little Peso.

"I hope I get a nice teacher this year," said Lois, an emperor penguin.

"I heard that they're going to have a dance club this year," said Guillaume, a Gentoo penguin.

Peso said nothing. He was very anxious about the new school year.

"Are you excited?" Lois asked him.

"I think he's nervous," said Guillaume. "It'll be alright; you've got me here, and Lois, and Penny. And Mr. Flipperson is teaching here, he'll keep you safe."

The little penguins waddled up the steps into the school and went to find their classrooms. Peso was put in a small class with about twelve other penguins and no Mr. Flipperson.

"Look, here comes the Penguin Pipsqueak!" A bully penguin jeered as Peso entered the room. Peso looked down and sat quietly at his desk.

PLGQ

Later, at lunch the little penguins gathered in the cafeteria with seaweed wraps and shaved ice. Peso quietly ate his food alone. Suddenly, he felt something wet being slopped all over his back. He turned around and saw that the bully penguins had purposely dumped a drink on him and were laughing. He sighed.

When he got up to put away his things, he noticed a small group of students fussing over a small king penguin who looked to be in Grade 1.

"What's wrong?" Peso approached them.

"She scraped her flipper." They pushed the little penguin forward. Sure enough, she had a scrape in her left flipper with a little bit of blood.

"Don't worry," said Peso. "I can help you." He brought her to his cubby and took some bandages from his bag. He wiped away the blood with a napkin and gently patched up her flipper. Both smiled at each other.

PLGQ

It was now the end of the day. As Peso has leaving the school, the little penguin from before ran up to him and hugged him.

"Thank you for helping me with my flipper," she chirped. "I'm Queenie. I think we're going to be friends." She then ran off to find her mum.

Peso smiled as he ran to catch up with the line of ten little penguins. Maybe this school year wouldn't be so bad after all.

PLGQ

_Info about which types of penguins live in Antarctica taken from World Atlas_

_Info about what Mexican primary schools are like taken from Wikipedia_

_This is a little late, since most people are already back in school by now, but I only got the idea for this chapter yesterday, so screw it, you're getting this chapter today._

_Since I've brought up age a couple times, I'd like to clarify everyone's ages:_

_Professor Inkling – 58  
Captain Barnacles – 48  
Lekona – 43  
Kitsune – 35  
Dashi – 34  
Elekai – 26  
Kwazii – 25  
Tweak – 24  
Peso – 21  
Shellington – 20  
Deborah – 18_

_Also, I debated on whether I should base the school on a British school or a Mexican school, but I went with the Mexican school because my area got the North American version of the show, in which Peso has a Mexican accent, so yeah. Personally, I prefer Peso's voice in the original UK version, but sometimes life makes you do stuff you don't really want to do._


	10. If All Else Fails

_Disclaimer: Refer to "The Dogfish Sharks"._

_This is a shipping chapter, so if shipping (especially OC/Canon shipping) isn't your thing, feel free to skip to the next chapter._

SD

"_Have you ever noticed that without knowing their names, everyone seems to blend in with one another?_"

It was the first line in Deborah's favourite book, _If All Else Fails_. It had always stuck with her because of how true it was for her. She hadn't realized that the students at her school whose names she knew stuck out to her, whilst the nameless students were just faces in a crowd.

But just like the main character seeing her love interest for the first time, something about Shellington stuck out to Deborah before she even knew his name.

SD

"_The first day is always the hardest._"

She still remembered the ride to where she was being interviewed.

"Promise me you'll come home safely." Her mother had begged her. "I don't want to lose you to a sham."

"I'll be okay, mum," said Deborah. "It's in the public library. There will be lots of people around. Nobody's going to kidnap me."

Mrs. Deer sighed. "Alright. But if they do try to hurt you..."

"...screech like I'm being murdered." Mrs. Deer had drilled her kidnapper evasion methods into her children for as long as Deborah could remember.

They arrived at the library. Deborah exited the car with her papers and went inside to where she would be interviewed.

"Excuse me, young lady." The librarian, a sweet older llama, got her attention. "Are you Miss Deborah M. Deer?"

"Yes," said Deborah.

"They're waiting for you in the back," said the librarian, pointing to a meeting room just behind her.

"Thank you, Mrs. Llama." Deborah entered the room, where Captain Barnacles and Professor Inkling were waiting for her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Deer," said Professor Inkling. "Good to see you're punctual."

"Thank you, sir." Deborah said quietly. She handed them her papers, consisting of her applications, medical records, and references.

Captain Barnacles proceeded to the interview. "Are you going to have graduated high school by June 1st?"

"Yes, sir," said Deborah, for once feeling thankful that her senior year was coming to a close.

"You're looking for the position of junior field researcher, right?"

Deborah nodded with tense shoulders.

"You don't have to be nervous," said Captain Barnacles. "You're not in trouble for anything. Now; why are you interested in this position?"

"Well," said Deborah, "I'm really interested in learning about different sea creatures. I also want to be able to help sea life."

"How long have you been interested in marine life?"

"It started during my freshman year. A lot of the classrooms at my school had fish tanks, and a lot of the students didn't take good care of them. I spent a lot of lunch periods cleaning the tanks and feeding those poor fish."

Professor Inkling read through her references. "I see you have a high science grade. Third highest in your school."

Deborah nodded. "I like getting hands-on; putting things together to see what happens."

Captain Barnacles nodded, and wrote down his notes. "Right. We'll make sure to call you back once I go through all the other candidates."

SD

"_One of the greatest joys in life is finally hearing that voice through the phone._"

Two months later, the news came. Deborah was already excited to have received a confirmation call, but the actual words said changed her life forever.

"Good evening, Deborah. This is Captain Barnacles of the Octonauts. We are pleased to inform you that you've been selected as our junior field researcher. We'll be picking you up to come to the Octopod on June 20th. Welcome aboard."

Deborah shrieked with delight and ran to hug all of her family members. She hugged her mother, her older brother David, her baby niece Stacy, and even her father. June 20th couldn't come sooner.

SD

"_When you've got a happy heart, suddenly your work doesn't seem so hard anymore._"

Deborah was in the GUP-A with Captain Barnacles and Kwazii, bouncing, flicking her wrists, and watching out the window. She couldn't believe this was actually happening.

"Yar, I can already tell you're gonna love being an Octonaut." Kwazii put a paw on her shoulder. "I know that "excited explorer" look anywhere."

"Oh, I still can't believe they actually picked me. Me; little ol' Deborah, the Octonaut!"

"We'll be arriving at the Octopod soon," said Captain Barnacles. "There, you'll meet your mentor, Shellington."

"What's he like?" Deborah asked.

"Well, he may be the biggest klutz I know," said Kwazii, "but I'll be damned if he wasn't my buddy."

"I'll admit he isn't the most…coordinated of the Octonauts," said Captain Barnacles, "but you really couldn't ask for a better mentor. He's really hands-on and loves books."

Deborah pursed her lips. She didn't know what to think.

SD

"_The details may seem small, but they feel so much larger._"

Maybe it was how he was only two years older than her. Maybe it was his accent. Maybe it was his peculiar facial structure.

Whatever it was, Shellington was not exactly who Deborah expected him to be.

"This is Deborah," said Captain Barnacles to Shellington. "She'll be your apprentice."

Neither of them said a thing. Deborah stared wistfully into Shellington's eyes. Shellington averted eye contact and wrung his paws.

"He's not normally this shy," Captain Barnacles whispered to Deborah, perturbed by Shellington's peculiar behaviour. Deborah looked at her boots for a moment, and then extended her hoof for a paw-shake. Shellington was a bit hesitant, but shook her hoof. His paws were very soft.

SD

"_I love that boy. And if all else fails, I'll still have him._"

It was now the present day, on a rainy evening. Shellington and Deborah were sitting on his bed. She was showing him the book. "It's about two seniors who fall in love," she said.

"That sounds sweet," said Shellington. "The elderly deserve love too."

Deborah was confuzzled. "No, it's about seniors in high school."

Shellington cocked his head, then realized. "Oh, that's right, sixth year is called senior year where you're from."

Deborah opened the book. "It's my dream to have the kind of relationship they have in this book. My dad is really strict about who I date."

Shellington tensed up. "How so?"

"He's such a hypocrite. He's so controlling over me and my sister when it comes to dating, but he's totally okay with my brother getting married after only two years of knowing that woman." She sighed. "Probably because she's a deer, and for no other reason."

Shellington's heart fell. "Why does her being a deer matter?"

"That's some more hypocrisy. He likes to go on about 'oh, I believe in species equality', but then he goes 'no daughter of mine is dating anyone but a deer!'." Deborah pouted. "He got really mad at my sister when she went out with a moose in high school. He was passive-aggressive and snide about it, like a freaking child. And then he acted all holier than thou when Mags found out he was cheating on her."

Shellington looked down and looked as if he might cry.

"But I don't care what he says. Neither Margaret nor I live under his roof anymore, so we don't have to follow his rules." Deborah puffed her chest up, as if to say 'so there'. She went back to her book. "Now, do you want to read this with me?"

"Oh, uh, sure." Both Shellington and Deborah flipped to the first page.

"_Have you ever noticed that without knowing their names, everyone seems to blend in with one another?_"

SD (bonus scene!)

"_I don't know how I'll go about it._"

It was later in the night. Deborah was beginning to fall asleep on Shellington's shoulder. He didn't know what to do about it. His stomach felt fluttery. He decided to put the book down and gently place his arm around her. She sighed dreamily and nuzzled his fur. Shellington's face grew hot and his cheeks went pink. He couldn't believe that worked. He pulled the blanket up to tuck her and himself in for the night. Deborah squirmed a bit and slightly opened her eyes. Upon realizing that she was safe in a bed with Shellington by her side, she smiled and went back to sleep. Shellington held her close before drifting off himself.

SD

_I realize that this is like the third backstory chapter in a row. I swear I'm working on mission chapters._


	11. The Fin Whales

_Disclaimer: We're ten chapters in, you should know this by now._

"_**Which one is your favourite?"  
"PAW Patrol!"  
**__ \- Me showing my three-year-old cousin Octonauts on my phone_

_Also shout to my brother who is also named Finn :)_

BKPSDITTEKDL

It was a peaceful afternoon under the sea. The Octopod was stationed in the Western North Atlantic Ocean. Down in the launch bay, Tweak was inside the GUP-E, showing Elekai how to change the GUP's batteries.

"The battery is in here," said Tweak, removing the battery from the GUP. "You bring it over to the battery charger, and replace it with a new one."

Elekai nodded and went to pick up a freshly charged battery. He dragged it out of the charger and over to the dock where the GUP was stationed. "These things are heavy," he said. He lifted it into the GUP, where Tweak pushed it into the battery slot.

"That should do it," said Tweak. "I'm glad we got to this now. Last time I procrastinated on changing the GUP-E's battery, I got Peso trapped in a crevasse."

BKPSDITTEKDL

Up in HQ, a loud whale call was heard. "Do you hear that?" Lekona asked. Everyone looked out of the window. Outside, two whales, one humpback and one fin, were approaching the Octopod.

"Ahoy, Octonauts!" The humpback called.

"Oi, it's our old friend Mitch!" Kwazii went to the window.

"This is my new buddy, Finn," said Mitch.

"Hullo," said Finn.

"We're going to the feeding grounds," said Mitch. "I saw your ship and figured I'd drop in."

"I hear the krill is great this time of year," said Finn. "Perfect for us filter-feeders."

"Nice to see you again," said Captain Barnacles. Mitch and Finn swam off.

BKPSDITTEKDL

About half an hour later, the Octonauts heard a call for help, and saw Finn swimming back towards the Octopod.

"Is something the matter?" Captain Barnacles asked.

"Our pal Blanche got hurt on the feeding ground," said Finn. "Mitch told me to come find you, since I'm the fast one."

"We're gonna help you," said Captain Barnacles. "Kwazii, sound the Octo-Alert." Kwazii pressed the Octo-Alert button.

"Octonauts, to the launch bay!"

The Octo-Alert blared throughout the Octopod, and the Octonauts all rushed to the launch bay.

"Octonauts, our new whale friend Finn has found an injured dolphin out on their feeding grounds. Peso, you take the GUP-E. Kwazii, Elekai; you and me. GUP-A. Now."

"Sir yes sir!" Captain Barnacles, Kwazii, and Elekai entered the GUP-A, while Peso prepped the GUP-E. They exited the Octopod, where Finn was waiting for them.

"The feeding ground is this way," said Finn, showing them the way. The Octonauts went to the feeding ground, where Mitch, a few other whales, and Blanche, an Atlantic white-sided dolphin, were waiting for them.

Peso exited the GUP-E and approached the dolphin. "Don't worry, Miss Blanche. My name's Peso. What's wrong?"

Blanche showed him her tail, which had a pretty nasty bruise; so much that Kwazii and even Elekai winced upon seeing it. "Can you fix it?"

"Of course," said Peso. He took out his handy dandy bandages and wrapped up her tail. "How did you get hurt?"

"She got distracted and ran into a rock," said Mitch.

"I saw something sparkle," said Blanche. She pointed in the direction of the object. Elekai exited the GUP-A, and he and Peso went to investigate. After digging in the sand for a bit, they found the shiny object; a pale-yellow pearl necklace.

"It's beautiful," said Peso. "I wonder where it came from."

"It could use a polish," said Elekai.

BKPSDITTEKDL

Back at the Octopod, Elekai had fixed up the necklace and turned it into two bracelets. He swam outside to present them to Finn and Blanche.

"You're all sent from the heavens," cooed Blanche.

"It's nice to have my fin looking fabulous," said Finn.

The Octonauts all laughed. All was well again under the sea.

BKPSDITTEKDL

"Calling all Octonauts!"

"Kwazii!"  
"Peso!"  
"Shellington!"  
"Dashi!"  
"Inkling!"  
"Tweak!"  
"Juniors!"

…

"Tunip!"

Captain Barnacles chuckled and put Tunip down. "Kwazii, activate Creature Report!"

"Creature Report, Creature Report!"

"Creature Report!" (clap clap clap)

"Facts: Fin whales filter-feed."

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Check!"

"They're known for their incredible speed."

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Bree!"

"They're seventy-five feet from head to tail…" (Creature Report, Creature Report)

"…and feed alongside dolphins and whales." (Creature Report, Creature Report)

"And as for their claim to fame…"

"Check!"  
"Check!"  
"Chirp!"

"The distinctive fin on their back is where they get their name!"

"Dance break!"

(insert dance break here)

"Go whale! Go whale! Go whale! Creature Report, Creature Report!"

"Creature Report!"

"We're done with our mission! Octonauts, at ease, until the next adventure!"

BKPSDITTEKDL

_Information about the fin whale taken from NOAA Fisheries_


	12. Vegimal Hijinx

_Disclaimer: Tralala_

_Dear FanFiction, thank you SO much for giving me new chapter notification emails for my own fanfiction. I NEVER would have known about the updates otherwise. /s_

TBCGT

It was a fair afternoon under the sea. All of the Octonauts were out on a mission, leaving the Vegimals to mind the Octopod all on their own. They were innocently playing with the pots and pans in the kitchen when Tunip hopped up on the table to announce something.

"Cheepa Cappy waka waya!" Tunip informed the other Vegimals that he thought it would be a great surprise if they could fix some of the problems in the Octopod before the rest of the Octonauts returned. The other Vegimals babbled in agreement, and they all set out to do so.

TBCGT

Tunip went up to HQ. He had overheard Elekai complaining about never being able to fix the hot chocolate machine, so he tried to figure out what was wrong with it. He fiddled with all the buttons, and learned that the dispenser was clogged. He made sure it was turned off and reached into the dispenser. He found the blockage, and after some wiggling, pulled out a clump of melted-together marshmallows. He put it in the trash and tried again. This time, the hot chocolate machine worked like normal. He chittered happily to himself and removed the "out of order" sticker.

TBCGT

Barrot entered the lab and went to the back room. Shellington had been reorganizing his books before being called out into the mission, and so they were everywhere. He checked the one finished shelf and learned that he was sorting by both colour and author name. All of the red-covered books were in order, and he was starting with the orange-covered books. Barrot looked for the next book in order, and found _Urchins and Starfish and Big Ol' Guitarfish _by Luanne Leopard. He slipped it into the shelf, and continued to do so for the rest of the books.

TBCGT

Codish toddled into the launch bay. He wanted to help Tweak by cleaning the gunk off of the GUP-C. He picked up a sponge and tried to climb on top of the GUP. It was a struggle, as the GUP-C was very large and Codish had little legs, but he made it up. He chirped to himself as he sponged up a mixture of algae, sea slime, and mud. Unfortunately, this mixture was very slippery. Codish tripped and fell into the launch bay pool. He surfaced, and upon realizing that he would have to climb all the way back up, he scowled and grumbled.

TBCGT

Grouber infiltrated the library. His plan was to find the missing checker piece. He first checked in the obvious spots; under the checkers table and its chair. The missing piece was not there. He then looked all over the floor. Not there either. He grumbled for a bit, and went to the upper part of the library. He noticed that on one shelf, one of the books was placed lying down instead of stood up, and there appeared to be something under the cover. He picked up the book and out fell the missing checker. He picked it up and placed it back with the rest of the set.

TBCGT

Tominnow slipped into Deborah's bedroom. She had heard her saying at breakfast that she needed to repair a rip in one of her dresses. She found the dress on a chair, with a bubble-gum pink thread sewn halfway through the tear. She picked up the needle and poked it through the other side. After a few clumsy missteps, she got the hang of sewing and sewed the dress shut. She was proud of herself for a minute, and then was immediately distracted by the manga that Deborah had left on her bedside table.

TBCGT

Later, all of the Octonauts returned to the Octopod, weary and tired. They all went to either HQ to sit down or to their quarters to lie down.

"I can't believe that mission took four hours," said Elekai. "It was totally wild." He noticed that the "out of order" sticker was missing from the hot chocolate machine. He put a mug under it and tested it, and it worked like a charm.

"Well, what do ya know?" He turned to the other Octonauts. "It works again."

Just then, the rest of the Octonauts came running into HQ.

"You're not going to believe this, Captain! My books; they're all organized!"

"Cap, someone's completely cleaned the GUP-C!"

"The missing checker piece is back."

"Someone fixed my dress for me!"

Captain Barnacles was dumbfounded, but then smiled when he saw the Vegimals hiding and giggling to themselves. "I guess there must be little helping angels in this Octopod…"

TBCGT

_I don't want to do an outro and you can't make me._


	13. Happy Birthday, Kitsune

_Disclaimer: Waluigi_

KBDAY

It was September 17th; Kitsune's birthday, and the Octopod was stationed in the North Pacific Ocean. All of the Octonauts were preparing to celebrate the occasion with their fox friend, and to do so, they needed to keep her out of the kitchen all day.

In the kitchen, the Vegimals were preparing a batch of kuzumochi, Kitsune's favourite dessert. They chirped together as they mixed sweetened water with kuzuko powder.

Meanwhile, outside, the Octonauts were marvelling a coral reef.

"The polyps are coming in nicely this year," mused Shellington.

"Yes, dear," said Kitsune. "They're like underwater meadows." Little did she know that the Octonauts had specifically brought her there to distract her from her birthday surprise…

KBDAY

Later that day, the Octonauts brought Kitsune to the kitchen for her birthday dinner. Captain Barnacles led her in with her eyes covered as to not spoil the surprise. When she uncovered her eyes, who should be waiting for her but her own husband and son!

"Mamaweloveyouweloveyouweloveyouweloveyou!" Ichiro ran towards his mother and hugged her legs. Kitsune picked him up and nuzzled his fur.

Everyone sat down to eat. "I've got a part-time job at Freshness Burger," said Akio. "I'm planning to start small and work my way back up the employment chain."

"Akio was really proud of his old job," said Kitsune to the others. "He was devastated to lose it."

They all ate their dinner. After they had finished, Peso presented Kitsune with a box. She opened it to find her present; a beautiful blue sundress with patches adorning the hem. Each patch had a little symbol of something or someone aboard the Octopod.

"It's so thoughtful," said Kitsune. "Thank you so much."

"We all worked together," said Captain Barnacles, "even though some of us are not very good at sewing." Upon hearing that, Shellington quietly hid his bandaged thumbs.

Kitsune was smiling from ear to ear, and wiped a happy tear from her face. "I couldn't have asked for a better birthday."

KBDAY

_Information about kuzumochi taken from Taste Atlas_

_Information about Freshness Burger taken from Japan Talk_


	14. The Queensland Lungfish

_Disclaimer: The sky is blue._

_I got the idea to do a chapter about the Queensland lungfish based on the "Creature A-Z" song. It mentions said creature even though there's never been an episode about/featuring it._

BKL

It was a peaceful night in the Coral Sea. The Octonauts were nuzzling into their beds for a good night's sleep.

Out near the river, Lekona was out in the GUP-D on his night patrol, checking to see if there were any creatures that needed help and couldn't wait until morning. Just when he thought they were in the clear, he heard a yelp. He turned around and he saw a small fish flailing about. He drove over to it.

"Oi, mate, what's wrong?" Lekona approached the little fish.

"I need help!" The fish yelled. "I lost my damn kids again!"

"Okay, calm down, buddy," said Lekona. "I can help you find your kids." He put a call in to the Octopod. "Lekona to Captain Barnacles."

"Go ahead, Lekona." Captain Barnacles answered from his quarters.

"We've got this fish out here that lost his kids." Lekona gestured to the fish.

"We'll be with you in a moment." Captain Barnacles knocked on the connecting door.

"Wha's goin' on?" Kwazii mumbled sleepily.

"We've got a situation outside," said Captain Barnacles. "We're going to investigate."

BLK

The GUP-A exited the Octopod and found Lekona and the fish waiting for them.

"The name's Kingsley," said the fish. "I'm looking for my kids. They're the greatest bunch around, but take your eyes off them for five seconds and they're gone."

"I know the feeling," said Captain Barnacles. "I swear that Shellington gets lost every time he leaves the Octopod."

"Do you have any idea where they could be?" Lekona asked.

"Who knows? Some could be on land by now." Kingsley shrugged.

"Land?!" All three Octonauts looked at him like he had ten fins.

"Yeah. We're Queensland lungfish," said Kingsley. "We have a lung that we use to go on land."

"I believe there's a book in the Octopod with something about this," said Captain Barnacles. "Think it's called _Of Lads and Lungfish_."

"Think it's in the lab," said Kwazii.

"Right. We're gonna have to go borrow it."

For once, it was Kwazii gawking at Captain Barnacles' wild scheme. "Captain, that's Shellington's favourite book; he never lets it out of his sight! He'd murder you if you lost it!"

"We'll just slip in, borrow it for this mission, and then put it back. He'll never know it was gone." Captain Barnacles and Kwazii re-entered the GUP and went back to the Octopod to retrieve the book.

BKL

"Christ, Captain, I can't believe you're going through with this."

"Calm down, Kwazii. Trust me, Shellington would sleep through a hurricane given the opportunity."

Captain Barnacles crept into the back room of the lab. The book was on the bedside table, while Shellington was snoring like a hippo, completely unaware of what was happening. He picked up a random book off the shelf, slipped it in _Of Lads and Lungfish_'s place, picked up the object of desire, and got out of there before he could do something that might have woken Shellington.

BKL

"Alright." Captain Barnacles, Kwazii, Lekona, and Kingsley were hovering over the book in the GUP-A. "It says here that Queensland lungfish rarely produce surviving offspring because of how rarely the conditions are just right, so juvenile Queensland lungfish are difficult to find."

"That doesn't explain where my kids went," grumped Kingsley. "They're all completely healthy. I just don't know where they are."

"It also says that lungfish normally live in deep freshwater rivers," said Lekona.

"Right now, we're in the Boyne River," said Captain Barnacles.

"Wait, where?" Kingsley asked, with an "aha!" look on his face.

"The Boyne River," said Captain Barnacles. "It's a river in Central Queensland."

"Of course!" Kingsley exclaimed. "My kids ain't lost; _I _am! I'm supposed to be in the Herbert River!"

Lekona opened the map. "That's further south from here." The Octonauts set a course for the correct river.

BKL

Upon arrival in the Herbert River, Kwazii and Lekona exited the GUP to help Kingsley find his kids.

"Let's see, we gotta find Rex, Leroy, Candace, Gina, Kimberly, Himeko…"

"Right, we find little fishies that look like you," said Kwazii. "Let's go get them so I can go back to bed." They searched the river for Kingsley's den.

"Here it is," said Kingsley upon finding it. He entered, only to find all of his children still inside, sleeping as if nothing had happened.

"They're all here! Even little Orla!" Kingsley was grinning from fin to fin.

"What I'd like to know is how he ended up in the Boyne River in the first place," grumbled Kwazii.

"The water got a bit funky," said Kingsley. "I went up on land for a bit, and then I found some worms to eat. I must have gone out further than I thought."

"Now I see where your kids get their wandering habits from," said Lekona, in a joking fashion.

BKL

The next morning, the Octonauts all ate breakfast together.

"I found one of my books in the wrong place this morning," said Shellington. "_Princess Pelican _was ahead of _The Littlest Goldfish_, when it's supposed to be behind it."

Captain Barnacles and Kwazii exchanged a look of 'oh crap'. "Uh…did you maybe put it away in the wrong place?"

"Of course not! _The Littlest Goldfish_ is by Karina Kangaroo, so it goes ahead of _Princess Pelican_." Shellington sighed. "I must be losing my marbles."

Captain Barnacles and Kwazii relaxed their shoulders. They had gotten away with it.

BKL

_Information about the Queensland lungfish taken from Australian Museum, Queensland Museum, and Wikipedia_

_Information about the Boyne and Herbert Rivers taken from Wikipedia_

_I didn't do a Creature Report this time__ because I think it's weird that they did Creature Reports in both "The Crab and Urchin" and "Operation Cooperation" even though only 2-3 people were awake when those missions happened (and because I'm lazy)._


	15. The Realization

_Disclaimer: (demonic screeching)_

SD

_I think I love him._

_For real._

_As I lay here, in the deep blue nothingness of the ocean, I realize that I honest-to-goodness love him._

_Dad will be angry because he's not a deer._

_But Dad isn't here. Dad's opinion doesn't matter._

_Does he feel the same?_

_He gets all flustered and blush-y when I'm around. Does that mean anything?_

_Do I tell him?_

_If he doesn't feel the same, he'll think I'm clingy._

_What about everyone else? Would they mind?_

_Do I say?_

_Do I wait?_

_Will it just be Donna all over again?_

_What's a girl to do?_

SD

_**I think I love her.**_

_**Honestly.**_

_**Here in the comforting confines of my lab, I realize that I really, truly, absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, love her.**_

_**Her father won't be pleased because I'm an otter and she's a deer.**_

_**But there's no law saying that fathers are permitted to control who their daughters marry.**_

_**Does she feel the same?**_

_**She doesn't mind that I feel like my heart will explode whenever I speak to her.**_

_**Do I tell her? **_

_**If she doesn't feel the same, she'll think I'm desperate.**_

_**What about everyone else? Are they okay with this?**_

_**Do I say?**_

_**Do I wait?**_

_**Will it just be Glenn all over again?**_

_**What's a lad to do?**_

SD

_For clarification:_

_Donna is Deborah's best friend from school. She was also her first kiss. They both realized after that they didn't feel the right sparks and decided to just stay friends._

_Glenn was Shellington's secondary school crush. He was too nervous to tell him, and eventually lost him to someone else._


	16. It Was Only a Kiss

_Disclaimer: Homophobes get out cause this chapter ain't for you_

_I know it's been a hot minute since my last update. Full disclosure; I re-watched an old childhood favourite recently (The Save-Ums, if you must know) and kinda became obsessed with it for like a week, and consequently shirked on my writing. Yeah, my attention span works in mysterious ways._

_Anyway, this is a follow up of the previous chapter; specifically, an elaboration of "Donna all over again"._

DD

_Back in high school…_

It was a chilly Friday evening in February, a few hours after school. Donna impatiently rocked back and forth on her hooves just outside the Cineplex. The long-anticipated film adaptation of _The Legend of Lady Lorraine_ was finally out, and she and Deborah had planned out a specific date to see it. Finally, Deborah came bursting in through the entrance of the Regent Mall.

"Finally," said Donna. "I've been waiting for you for, like, thirty minutes."

"Don't get your hooves in a huff," said Deborah, wiggling out of her coat. "It's only 6:15. The movie doesn't start until seven."

They exchanged casual banter about school, and then Deborah showed Donna photos from her phone of her newborn niece.

"She's, like, the cutest thing ever," said Donna.

"Her parents are getting married in July," said Deborah. "I have the prettiest dress for it."

After about half an hour, Donna and Deborah entered the Cineplex, sorted out their tickets and snacks, and went to find their seats in the theatre.

"I've been trying really hard to avoid spoilers for this film," said Deborah, flicking her wrists. "I've been so excited for months."

"I still can't believe that they got Luanne Leopard herself to direct it," said Donna.

They quieted down as the previews ended and the lights dimmed.

DD

About two hours later, Donna and Deborah left the theatre and exited the mall.

"I don't see my mum anywhere," said Deborah.

"I guess we're gonna have to wait," said Donna. They both sat down on the curb to await the arrival of Deborah's mother.

"It gets really chilly out here at night," said Deborah. She and Donna moved closer together.

"It's so wild that we're gonna be seventeen soon," said Donna. "Like, that just feels so weird."

"I know…" Deborah pulled her coat closer to her body. She wasn't sure she was ready to be seventeen yet.

"God, I hate Melvin so much," said Donna. "He, like, totally tried to grope my butt in the hallway today. If my arms weren't full of books and if I wouldn't get suspended for it, I would have smacked him in his stupid face. At least Harold stopped him and yelled at him."

"I can't believe that Martha wore crop tops all winter," said Deborah. "She must have ice running through her veins or something."

Both looked directly into each other's eyes and went quiet. Donna had mentioned to Deborah that she wasn't sure about her orientation after Martha started coming to school. And truth be told, Deborah wasn't quite sure she was heterosexual either.

"So...what does that dress of yours look like?"

"Oh, Donna, it's beautiful. It's pale blue...with a white sash around the hips, and a pearl necklace..."

They moved even closer together.

Their lips met.

They were only pressed together for a few seconds.

It was soft.

It was different.

Deborah liked it.

They let go and opened their eyes.

"Did…you feel something?"

"I…" Donna looked conflicted. "I didn't feel anything."

Deborah didn't know what to think.

Before either could say anything, that oh-so familiar vehicle pulled up. Deborah scrambled to her feet. "Thank you for having me." She entered the passenger seat.

"I got a message from your mom," said Mrs. Deer to Donna. "She's running behind on picking you up because of traffic."

"Thank you, Mrs. Deer," said Donna.

"Dear, you know you're allowed to call me Gertrude." Mrs. Deer rolled up the window and exited the parking lot.

Deborah was very quiet on the ride home.

"So, how was the movie?" Mrs. Deer asked, hoping to get her daughter talking.

"Good," said Deborah.

"Did you and Donna have fun?"

"Yes," said Deborah.

"Did something happen? You're not talking." Mrs. Deer slowed down as she passed the university.

"…I kissed her," said Deborah. "Don't tell Dad."

Mrs. Deer was surprised. She didn't exactly know how to respond to that. "…Okay."

"You don't mind?"

"Of course not," said Mrs. Deer. "You'd still be my daughter even if you kissed every girl on the planet."

"It was only for a few seconds," said Deborah. "I liked it."

"I'm glad you're exploring your identity," said Mrs. Deer. "And I still love you whether you decide you like boys or girls or something else."

DD

_Back to the present…_

Deborah lay awake in her bed. She was still thinking of that moment.

Did she really like Donna like that?

The kiss felt good, but there wasn't really a spark.

What about Shellington? Would he be upset if he found out she kissed a girl?

She turned the bedside lamp on and picked up the first installment of Naoko Amami's _Love Princess_. She opened it up to the first chapter, where she saw the beautiful Manami-chan marry Miyu-hime all over again.

"_It was only a kiss,_" thought Deborah. "_I like Donna like I like Gloria, not like how Manami likes Miyu. I don't even feel for her like I do for Shellington._"

She watched the romantic adventures of Manami-chan and Miyu-hime unfold in the pages before her until she fell back asleep.

DD

_I know I do a lot of dicking around in this story, but I will die on this ship given the opportunity._


	17. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dead Sea

_Disclaimer: Blah_

_**Trigger Warning**__: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of an injury. If that would bother you, feel free to skip this chapter._

BKPSDITTEKDL

It was a spooky night in the Dead Sea. All of the Octonauts were gathered in the Games Pod, dressed in costumes. The Vegimals had prepared fish biscuits decorated with white icing in the shape of cobwebs and pumpkin spice-flavoured kelp cakes.

"Huddle closer," said Kwazii, standing on the ping pong table. "This be a night of scary events, the likes of which you've never seen." Once he had everyone's attention, he began his scary story. "This has always been my favourite story from me grandfather, Calico Jack..."

BKPSDITTEKDL

"_Long ago, when I was a wee kitten, Calico Jack went out on this very sea, on this very night, and found the biggest creature he had ever seen." _

It was late in the evening, and dark clouds were brewing. Calico Jack was out on the water, letting the cool wind breeze through his fur, when suddenly, there came a giant sea monster from the watery depths.

"_It had twenty eyes and forty tentacles, and he brought all of them down upon his ship."_

The monster gave a mighty roar and attacked the ship. Calico Jack hopped out of the way and rushed to the steering wheel. He made a turn to try and shake off the creature. It was persistent, and clung tightly to the boat. Calico Jack growled, and made a sharp right, breaking free of the monster's grip.

"_He didn't think he would get out in one piece. He called the beast…the _finequin. _And legend has it that it's still out there, roaming the sea, looking for its next victim__."_

BKPSDITTEKDL

Kwazii hopped down from the table, satisfied by his story. "I'd like to see someone try to beat that story."

"Oh, I'm willing to take you up on that offer." Lekona got up from his seat and stepped up to the plate.

BKPSDITTEKDL

"_It was many years ago, back me and the wife were still dating._"

It was a dark evening in Aberdeen. Lekona, his girlfriend Blythe, and their friends Kenneth and Keira were walking down a forest trail.

"This is freaky, love," said Blythe to Lekona.

"Aye," said Lekona.

"_In the middle of the trail, we came across a bench."_

"Hey, I dare you to sit on it," said Kenneth to Keira.

"Eww, why?" Keira made a face.

"It's a bench," said Lekona. "We've been down this trail before."

Keira pouted, but agreed to sit down on the bench. Kenneth waited for Keira while Lekona and Blythe continued ahead.

"_We were absolutely _not_ prepared for what happened next._"

Lekona and Blythe heard a scream. They turned around and saw Keira running towards them screeching! They both shrieked and ran down the trail.

"_We all thought she had possessed by a ghoul._"

BKPSDITTEKDL

Lekona stepped down from the table. "Anyone else want a go?"

"I've got one," said Elekai. He got up and took his place on the table.

BKPSDITTEKDL

"_This story made me never want to be anything like my father._"

It was Friday after nursery school. Little Elekai had just gotten home and was colouring. His mother was watching out the window, and occasionally glancing out the door.

"Is papa coming home soon, mummy?" He asked.

"He should be, darling," said Mrs. Echidna, "but you know army work is very, very hard. He'll be along in a few minutes."

Elekai shrugged and went back to his colouring page.

"_A few minutes turned into a few hours…_"

It was now dinnertime. Elekai and his mother were quietly eating their greens and potatoes with an empty chair and steaming plate next to them.

"Papa should have been home by now," said Elekai.

"I know," said Mrs. Echidna. "I hope he's alright…"

"…_and a few hours turned into a few days._"

It was now Sunday evening. Elekai had just been tucked into bed when the door slammed shut. Mr. Echidna had come home.

"Where have you been?!" Mrs. Echidna had cried. "We were so worried about you!"

"It's none of your concern." Mr. Echidna pushed past his wife to come inside.

"You have nothing to say?! I thought you may have died!"

"_**Just leave it, Lisa!**_"

BKPSDITTEKDL

"It was the scariest time of my life." Elekai furrowed his brow. "But it's why I pursued my own career path instead of following my father's footsteps." He got off the table. Things were quiet until Captain Barnacles cleared his throat and stepped up to tell his own story.

BKPSDITTEKDL

"_I was told this story back during my days in the lighthouse, on a night just like this one._"

A younger Barnacles was in the library, listening to Captain Riviera tell him her favourite ghost story.

"There was once a young mouse who wandered the beach looking for the spirit of the ocean, believing it would grant her a wish." Her expression grew grim. "And one day, a ghoul rose from the water. It convinced her that it was the ocean spirit, and led her into the deep blue void. She never returned.

"What happened then?" Barnacles asked.

"The mouse's spirit continues to haunt the ocean. She calls for young travelers to drown them, just as the ghoul had done to her." Captain Riviera came uncomfortably close to him. "And if you're not careful, she just might take _you_."

BKPSDITTEKDL

"I knew it wasn't real, but I still slept with a light on for almost a week." Captain Barnacles got off the table. "Does anyone else want to tell a story?"

"Uh… I do." Peso said softly, raising a flipper.

Everyone was surprised, but intrigued as the little penguin pulled himself onto the table.

BKPSDITTEKDL

"_This happened to me when I was doing first aid training._"

A teenage Peso was gathered in a small room with a group of other little penguins, learning how to wrap bandages, when they heard a shriek outside. They rushed outside to find a macaroni penguin lying in the snow with her flipper fractured and covered in cuts and bruises.

"_There was…blood. A lot of blood._"

The little penguins gathered around the crying victim. Peso looked over her flipper.

"She needs bandages and a splint," he said. He took some bandages and covered the cuts to stop the bleeding. Two other little penguins brought him the practice splint from class, and he set it up to keep her flipper still while they waited for an adult to come.

"Am I gonna die?" The injured penguin asked.

"We'll do everything we can to help you," said Peso. "Medics help anyone who is hurt or sick, no matter what."

BKPSDITTEKDL

Peso carefully lowered himself back onto the floor. "I don't know if that was actually scary, but it's stuck with me ever since."

"No, you hit the mark, matey," said Kwazii, shuddering at the thought of losing that much blood.

BKPSDITTEKDL

_I know that Halloween isn't for a few weeks, but screw it, you're getting the spooky chapter now._


	18. Driving Lesson

_Disclaimer: Trust me, if I owned Octonauts, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction about them._

BKPSDITTEKDL

It was a warm afternoon under the sea. Captain Barnacles was preparing to take Deborah out to teach her how to operate the GUPs.

"Sir, with all due respect, isn't her mentor supposed to be teaching her this?" Elekai asked.

"Trust me, Elekai," said Captain Barnacles. "I'd sooner let Shellington teach her how to do quantum physics in Mandarin than how to drive." He closed the windscreen. Elekai shrugged and opened the Octo-Hatch, and off they went.

BKPSDITTEKDL

Once in a safe, spacious area, Captain Barnacles put Deborah in front of the dashboard.

"Alright, these handles start and stop the GUP." He pointed to the handle in front of her. Deborah put her hooves on the handle and pushed it forwards, making the GUP go forward. She drove it around for a bit before pulling on the handle to make it stop.

"Well done. Now, this chute leads to an opening at the front of the GUP. We use this for a multitude of reasons." He handed her a fish biscuit to try it out. She slipped it into the chute, and it popped out into the water, where it was promptly devoured by a fish.

"Watch for that red button," said Captain Barnacles. "That's the turbo button. It makes the GUP go wildly fast. Like, Kwazii-fast." Deborah stared at the button with intrigue in her eyes. Knowing exactly what she would do if he didn't step in, Captain Barnacles scrambled to distract her. "This is the tracker. It shows where other GUPs or Octonauts are." He turned it on, and noticed an orange shape moving on the screen.

"What is that-" Before Captain Barnacles could finish his sentence, the GUP-B went flying by, fast as lightning. He sighed. "If he crashes that damn GUP again, I swear…"

"I'm assuming you don't want me to do that?" Deborah asked innocently.

"No, Deborah. Do not do that." He turned her attention back to the dashboard. "Obviously, there's an Octo-Alert in the GUP. Well, there's one in all of the GUPs, but we're focusing specifically this one."

"I know how the Octo-Alert button works, Captain," said Deborah, miffed.

"Right. Now, you just have to drive around that big rock over there, and you're free to go."

Deborah nodded. She pushed the handlebars to go forward, and the GUP slowly trekked over to the rock. She pushed a little harder to go faster, and after a little stumbling, steered around the rock and back.

"Good work, princess," said Captain Barnacles. "We'll pick up again tomorrow after breakfast."

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_(outro)_


	19. Blythe and the Risso's Dolphin

_Disclaimer: You know it_

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It was a fair afternoon in the North Sea. The Octopod was stationed not far away from Aberdeen, Scotland. In the Launch Bay, Lekona was waiting eagerly for the GUP-A to return. Captain Barnacles and Kwazii had gone to pick up his wife, Blythe, who was going to be spending some time with the Octonauts while they were nearby.

"They're closing in on the GUP Finder," said Elekai, who opened the Octo-Hatch. The GUP-A entered the Octopod, and the three passengers exited the vehicle.

"There she is; my beautiful wife!" Lekona took Blythe's hand and twirled her around.

"So nice to see you again," purred Blythe.

"Come along," said Captain Barnacles. "It's lunchtime."

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Up in the kitchen, the Octonauts were having lunch and discussing the things they had been doing recently.

Of course, Deborah was raving about _Intergalactic Imogen_. "See, each season is ten episodes long, and each one has her training with different magic. Right now, I'm on its second season, where she's learning about fire magic with Tallulah."

Blythe politely nodded along. "Excuse me, Captain, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't think I can finish my food."

"That's fine," said Captain Barnacles. "Just give it to Shellington. Bit of a bottomless pit, that one." He chuckled. Shellington quietly put down his food, looking hurt.

"I know the type," said Blythe. "He should spend some time with my friend Keira. She's a real foodie lass; especially after her third glass of red." She laughed.

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About an hour later, outside the Octopod, a pod of dolphins were swimming happily. They circled the Octopod.

"Those little fellas seem to like us," said Elekai.

"What are they?" Kwazii asked. "They're like dolphins with beluga heads!"

"They're Risso's dolphins," said Professor Inkling. "Rather common in Scottish waters."

The dolphins went up to the surface, where they splashed and chirped.

"They're a cute li'l bunch," said Kwazii. He elbowed Lekona. "You wanna go check things out?"

"Let's go." He, along with Kwazii and Blythe, climbed down the ladder to the Launch Bay.

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Outside the Octopod, the trio caught up to the pod. One little dolphin swam over to them.

"Oh, wow, are you pirates?" He chirped.

"Well, neither my wife nor I are pirates, but he is," said Lekona, pointing at Kwazii.

"I'm Reese," said the dolphin, "and I know where some pirate treasure is."

"Really?"

"Yeah," said Reese. "My pod is going to go by where it's hidden. D'you want to come with us?"

"Oh boy, would I ever!" Kwazii put a call in to the Octopod. "Captain, we've got a mission! This li'l dolphin's gonna show us to some pirate treasure!"

Captain Barnacles cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged, agreeing to go along with Kwazii's shenanigans. "We're on our way. Dashi, sound the Octo-Alert."

Dashi pressed the Octo-Alert button.

"Octonauts, to the HQ!"

The Octo-Alert blared throughout the Octopod, and the Octonauts all rushed to the HQ.

However, outside, Reese was getting impatient. "Oh, my pod will leave me behind if I don't hurry up!" With Blythe clinging to his back, he raced after his pod.

"Octonauts, this pod of dolphins wants to lead us to some 'pirate treasure'. Dashi, open up the map."

Dashi opened the map of the North Sea. "The dolphins are headed upwards towards Fraserburgh; rather fast, I might add."

"Hey!" Kwazii shouted. "They're taking off without us!"

"And they're taking Blythe with them!" Lekona yelled.

"We're gonna have to catch up with them," said Captain Barnacles. "Kwazii, Lekona, to the GUP-A."

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Ahead of the pack, Reese and Blythe raced through the water. "First, we go past the big rock." Sure enough, they sped past a tall, pointy rock.

"We're going awful fast," said Blythe, "don't you think?"

"I _love _going fast!" Reese chirped.

"_Oh dear god,_" thought Blythe.

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Back with the Octonauts, they were zooming through the water to catch up with Blythe and the Risso's dolphins.

"Those li'l guys are fast," said Kwazii.

Captain Barnacles put in a call to Shellington's lab. "Shellington, what do you make of this?"

"Playfulness is a common trait among all types of dolphins," said Shellington, barely emoting.

"That Reese must _really_ want to find that treasure," said Lekona.

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"Second, we go through a patch of seaweed."

Reese and Blyth raced through a patch of seaweed. Blythe picked a strand and wrapped it around her ear as a decoration.

"Hey, I can't see the Octopod anymore," said Blythe. "Shouldn't we slow down, even just a little bit?"

"We can't stop now," said Reese, "we'll lose the pod!"

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"We're not catching up," said Captain Barnacles. "Those dolphins are too fast."

"That's…how dolphins are," mumbled Shellington.

"Captain," said Deborah, taking over the call, "do you think this is an okay time to use the turbo button?"

Captain Barnacles glanced at the turbo button. "I think you're right." He pressed the button, and the GUP-A burst forwards in a major increase of speed, eventually catching up to Reese and Blythe.

"Oh, there you are!" Reese chirped. "We're almost there; we just have to pass the land where the seahorses play."

Just as he said this, they passed over a group of seahorses, who were swimming and dancing together.

"There it is!" Reese ducked down and dug his nose through the sand. He dug up a box. "I need help opening it, though."

Captain Barnacles, Kwazii, and Lekona exited the GUP-A. Kwazii opened up the box to find a music box inside.

"See? Pirate treasure," said Reese, looking proud of himself. Blythe picked up the music box.

"What do you suppose we do with it?" Kwazii asked.

"My friend Mindy had the most adorable pup recently," said Blythe. "I bet she would love this."

"That's my Blythe," said Lekona, wrapping his paw around her shoulder. "Always puts her friends first."

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Later, back in the Octopod, the women aboard the ship were sitting in the Games Pod, talking about girly stuff. Blythe had the newly repaired music box on her lap.

"...and then, we both smeared icing on each other's noses!" They laughed at Blythe's wedding story.

"Oh man," said Tweak, "I hope I have that much fun whenever I finally decide to tie the know with Anita!"

"This was my wedding photo," said Kitsune, showing them a photo of her and Akio, about seven years younger.

"I never thought of you with short hair," said Deborah.

"I had it up until Ichiro was about two," said Kitsune. "After that, I started wearing it longer."

"Mine was never short," said Deborah. "It's been at least to my bicep ever since it could get that long."

"I grew up braiding Mindy's hair," said Blythe. "I never had my own to play with. I guess that's just what happens when you're a lioness."

"D'you think Mindy's pup will like the music box?" Dashi asked.

"Oh, yes. Mindy and her hubby Rory have been struggling to get little Emma to sleep. I'm sure this music box is just the thing they need."

"That," said Tweak, "or it'll just make the baby screaming slightly more bearable."

The women all laughed.

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_If you like this story, I'd like if you left a review, as it gives me the feedback I need to improve (__and also because I'm a massive attention seeker who needs constant validation__)._

_Information about the Risso's Dolphin taken from Nature Scot and NOAA Fisheries_

_Map of Scotland taken from Political Geography Now_


	20. The Swell Shark

_Disclaimer: I already know you're not reading this bit, so why bother._

_**Trigger Warning:**__ It is recommended you skip this chapter if:  
\- You have emetophobia/are generally grossed out by vomit  
\- You are sensitive to the topic of mental illness_

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"Welcome to life aboard the Octopod," said Deborah into a video camera as she entered the kitchen. "In this segment, I'll be showing you an average day as a member of the Octonauts." She took her seat at the table. "Like everyone else on this fine morning, we begin our day with a healthy breakfast."

"What's with the camera?" Tweak asked.

"My friend Josephine from school is making a film project about a bunch of different jobs for university," said Deborah. "I'm helping her out by filming stuff here for the project."

"…eight, nine, ten." Captain Barnacles finished counting his crewmates and realized that they were missing one. "Where's Shellington?"

"Octonaut #4 is taking his sweet time getting up this morning," said Deborah into the camera.

"And I'd appreciate if Octonaut #10 would put the camera down at the table and eat her damn breakfast." Captain Barnacles said to Deborah. "In the meantime, I have to go drag Shellington out of bed."

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Captain Barnacles entered the back room of the lab and found a wiggling lump under the blanket. He lifted it up and found his sleepy crewmate underneath. Shellington groaned and shielded his eyes from the light.

"Come on, Shellington," said Captain Barnacles. "You gotta get up."

Shellington yawned. "Sorry…I was, uh, up late working last night."

Captain Barnacles cocked an eyebrow. Normally whenever Shellington worked late, he slept on that pull-out bed tucked into the wall of the lab. However, he shrugged it off. "Are you coming to breakfast?"

"No!" Shellington frantically declined. "I, uh…I'm not hungry."

Captain Barnacles sighed and shook his head. "Alright," he said, leaving the room. "That kid makes no damn sense sometimes…"

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Up in HQ, Deborah was continuing her film. "This is our HQ. Up here, we control the ship, can look up creature information, and watch outside for new creatures."

"We're coming up at the kelp forest now," said Dashi. "We'll be spending a few days here to study all of the creatures who live here."

Just then, there was a whimpering noise coming from outside. Elekai looked out the window.

"Sir! Injury to report!"

Captain Barnacles rushed over to him. "What is it?"

"There's an injured creature out there, sir!" Elekai pointed at a small shark outside with an injured fin.

"We've got to help her," said Captain Barnacles. "Dashi, sound the Octo-Alert."

Dashi pressed the Octo-Alert button.

"Octonauts, to the Launch Bay!"

The Octo-Alert blared throughout the Octopod, and the Octonauts rushed to the launch bay.

"Octonauts, there's an injured shark out in the kelp forest. We've got to help them. Peso, Kitsune, prepare the sick bay." Peso and Kitsune nodded and rushed to their station. "Kwazii, Shellington, Lekona, into the GUP." The four hopped into the GUP-A. Tweak opened the Octo-Hatch, and they went out to find the shark.

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Upon arriving in the kelp forest, Captain Barnacles planned their next move. "Alright, here's the plan. First, Kwazii and Lekona will coax the shark over to us."

"Aye, Captain," said Lekona.

"Once we've got her to follow us, I'll call Peso to bring the GUP-E down here." He turned to Shellington, who was leaning against the wall of the GUP. "Are you alright there, Shellington? You look like you're gonna be sick."

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, Captain, just a wee bit tired," said Shellington, even though he really wanted to say _"Please take me home, I want to sleep for a million years"_.

"Right. It won't take us very-" Captain Barnacles then noticed Kwazii swimming out of the GUP. He sighed. "Dammit, Kwazii…Lekona, go with him." Lekona nodded and exited the GUP. Both approached the shark.

"Stay back! I'm warning you!" The shark yelled as her body began to puff up.

"Err, Captain, why is 'e swelling up like that?" Lekona asked, turning back to the GUP.

"That's a swell shark," said Shellington. "They puff up like that when they feel threatened."

"I's okay, matey," said Kwazii to the shark. "We're here to help you."

"We have our medics waiting at our base," said Lekona. "They can fix up your fin."

The shark whimpered for a moment, but calmed down and returned to her normal size. "Alright."

Captain Barnacles contacted the Octopod's sick bay. "Peso, we've found our patient down he-"

He was interrupted by a gagging sound. He turned around and saw Shellington hunched over, leaning against the wall. Captain Barnacles instantly knew what was going on. "Nonononono, in the bucket, in the bucket!"

"What's wrong, Captain?" Peso asked from the sick bay. He heard a loud, painful retch followed by what sounded like fluids splattering against a metal surface.

"Oh, son of a bitch, Shellington…" Captain Barnacles went back to the dashboard. "You'd best prepare a bed in the sick bay. We've got another patient down here who needs you." He clicked off, sat Shellington down, and turned to the two others outside. "You two; stay out of the GUP. I don't want you catching this." Shellington leaned over the bucket and looked as if he might cry.

BKPSDITTEKDL

Peso and Kitsune prepared the GUP-E. The GUP-E went into ambulance mode, and they set off for the kelp forest.

Upon arrival, Kwazii and Lekona loaded the swell shark into the back of the GUP-E.

"The captain's told us to stay out of the GUP-A until we get back," said Lekona. "He doesn't want us to get whatever Pukeface up there's got."

Lekona and Kwazii held onto the sides of the GUP-E while both GUPs drove back to the Octopod. When they got back, both medics brought their patients into the sick bay.

"You're going to be okay," said Peso to the shark. "What's your name?"

"I'm Sweetpea," said the shark. "I hurt my fin while trying to get back into my den. It caved in on itself…"

"Oh, dear, that's terrible," said Kitsune from the other side of the sick bay.

"Don't worry," said Peso. "I'm sure that Captain Barnacles can help you clear the way into your den." He bandaged up Sweetpea's fin.

"Oh, that would be wonderful," said Sweetpea.

"I am curious, though," said Peso. "How do you puff up the way you do?"

"I don't have any bones," said Sweetpea. "I'm all cartilage, which helps me bend back and swallow large amounts of water."

Just then, Captain Barnacles entered the sick bay. "How are your patients?"

"I've bandaged up Sweetpea's fin," chirped Peso. "As long as she takes it slow, she should be able to swim again."

"Excellent, Peso," said Captain Barnacles. He turned to Kitsune. "How about you?"

"He hasn't eaten anything recently that would have caused this," said Kitsune in a serious tone. "I believe he has gastroenteritis. He needs to be in bed."

Captain Barnacles was surprised at this new side of Kitsune, but nodded. "That makes sense. I had a rather, uh…" He clicked his tongue. "…unpleasant view of his guts today."

"Say," said Sweetpea. "Do you think you could help me with my den?"

"That's what we're here for," said Captain Barnacles. He left the room, while Kitsune picked up Shellington to bring him to bed.

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Back in the kelp forest, Captain Barnacles, Tweak, and Lekona followed Sweetpea to her den.

"See?" Sweetpea circled her den. "The entrance is blocked off by all these rocks."

"No sweat," said Tweak. "We'll have your den ship-shape again fast than you can say 'buncha munchy crunchy carrots'!" She and Lekona got to work removing the fallen rocks.

Once complete, Tweak looked over the den. "The roof looks pretty weak. I can fix that." She took out her welder and brought stronger rocks together to create a stronger roof.

"Ooh, you Octonaut people are so kind," chirped Sweetpea.

"It's our job," said Captain Barnacles. "We're there for any sea creature, big or small."

"That should do it," said Tweak. "Try it out."

Sweetpea nestled into her den. "It's perfect! Thank you, Octonauts."

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It was now late in the evening. Deborah was clearing her area of the lab when Captain Barnacles entered. "Good evening, Captain," she chirped. "I got a lot of great footage for Josephine's film, and-"

"I need to speak to your mentor," he said to her in a stern tone. He was very displeased about Shellington lying about being well.

"…Yes, sir." Feeling a little intimidated, Deborah approached the door of the back room alongside the captain.

Captain Barnacles slipped into the room while Deborah waited in the doorway. Just like in the morning, Shellington was hiding under the blanket.

"_Shellington…_"

Shellington huddled deeper under the blanket and whimpered. Captain Barnacles' face softened. "I need to speak to you about today."

No answer.

"Well, for starters," said Captain Barnacles, "you're going to have to take some time off."

"I know, I'm sorry…" Shellington cowered before the captain.

"For what?" Captain Barnacles was confused. "Taking sick leave?" Shellington poked his head out from under the blanket and nodded. "Oh my god, it's _policy_, Shellington. If you're throwing up, we have to keep you in bed until you're not throwing up anymore."

Shellington whimpered weakly and went back under the blanket. Captain Barnacles was starting to get suspicious. "You're not in trouble for anything. I just need to talk to you." He sat down next to him and coaxed him back out. "Why didn't you just tell me you were ill? I would have easily let you sit this one out."

"Well…" Shellington averted eye contact. "I…uh…didn't want you lot fussing over me."

"Why not?" Deborah asked. "Being fussed over is the best part of being sick."

"You're allowed to tell me if something's wrong," said Captain Barnacles. "Okay? No need to clam up, you're alright."

Shellington put his head down. "No I'm not…"

If his before behaviour had red flags, then _that_ comment was a neon blinking sign. Something was _definitely _wrong. "What's wrong?"

"Well, how else am I supposed to get taken seriously?!" Shellington snapped. When he saw the taken aback looks of both Captain Barnacles and Deborah, he shrunk back into himself.

"I don't understand," said Captain Barnacles. "You're our senior field researcher; of course we take you seriously."

Shellington furrowed his brow. "You only started calling me the senior when _she _showed up." Upon seeing Deborah's offended pout, he hid his face and whimpered.

"What's going on?" Captain Barnacles asked firmly. "It isn't like you to get snappy like this."

He didn't answer; just softly wept.

"Hey…" Captain Barnacles moved closer and let Shellington cling to him. "I don't understand what's going on with you. You've never acted like this before."

"What else do you want me to do?!" Shellington shouted in anger. "What is it going to take me to be more than a lazy, gluttonous klutz who's terrible at everything?!"

"What do you…?" Captain Barnacles trailed off as the realization hit him.

"_Bit of a bottomless pit, that one."_

"_I swear he gets lost every time he leaves the Octopod."_

"_Kid, you have the attention span of a moth."_

"_I'd sooner let him teach her how to do quantum physics in Mandarin than how to drive."_

"_Are you going to interrupt every two minutes?."_

"_Trust me; he would sleep through a hurricane, given the opportunity."_

"_Some of us aren't very good of sewing."_

"…Oh."

"Exactly! Nothing! I can't do a single damn thing about it!" He completely broke into pieces and sobbed.

Captain Barnacles said nothing. He couldn't say anything. He simply sat silently, rubbing Shellington's back as he bawled. He looked up and saw Deborah in the doorway. Her eyes were wide. She had her hooves over her mouth, and looked as if she might cry herself.

As Shellington was beginning to peter out and calm down, Captain Barnacles finally regained his senses. "Why didn't you ever come and talk to me about this?"

Shellington snuffed. "I'm already a terrible Octonaut. It would be selfish of me to ask for time off."

"You are _not _a terrible Octonaut, and I don't _ever _want to hear you say that again." Captain Barnacles cupped Shellington's face in his paws and looked him firmly in the eyes. "It doesn't matter to me that you're not perfect. I've seen you tough out toxic venom and rush headfirst into finding new creatures, and it astounds me that you never run out of steam. Trust me; Deborah couldn't ask for a better mentor, and I want you to know I mean it when I say there is not a single goddamn _thing_ I would change about you."

Shellington didn't respond outside of one last hiccup. He looked down.

"I see now that this is much more than just an ordinary stomach flu." Captain Barnacles continued. "I'm going to have to put you on emergency leave until you're both physically and mentally well again, okay? Because if this is your breaking point, I don't even want to think about what it'd be like to see you hit rock bottom."

Shellington snuffed. He laid his head down on his pillow. Captain Barnacles got up to let him sleep. Deborah stepped out of the doorway to let him through.

"Listen" said Captain Barnacles to Deborah, "I'm going to have you doing your work in the library until he's well again."

Deborah wrung her hooves and nodded silently. They exited the lab, only to find the rest of the Octonauts standing outside, mouths agape. They had heard everything. Kwazii opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then closed it and pressed his knuckles to his lips. Everyone was at a loss for words.

Finally, Lekona stepped forward and broke the silence. "I don't think a pint is gonna fix this one."

Captain Barnacles sighed and shook his head. "No, definitely not."

"…I should call my wife." The Octonauts dispersed and went to their respective quarters. None of them knew exactly how to digest this major twist of events. How could they let themselves do this? What would become of Shellington? What comes next?

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_And there you have it; the Kelp Forest arc has begun._

_I'm sorry to end on such a downer note, but I promise that things won't be sour forever._

_If you're curious, the thing about the pull-out bed refers to something in Season 5. If you've been on the wiki recently, you'll see that there have been several books released that are based off of episodes from the upcoming season. You can check them out, but you may not understand the words as they're all in Chinese (I believe China got Season 5 early because Octonauts is oddly popular there)._

_Information about the swell shark taken from Monterey Bay Aquarium_


	21. The Kelp Fish

_Disclaimer: Sad-posting hours ahead_

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It was a very gloomy day aboard the Octopod. It was rainy on the surface, no one was in a good mood, and everything seemed a little gray.

Down in the hallway, Kitsune entered the lab to check up on her patient. "Wake up, sweet love," she whispered. "Are you feeling any different?"

Shellington briefly looked up at her, then back at the wall. His eyes were completely blank; the lights were on, but no one was home. Between his bleary vision, bubbling stomach, and broken heart, he didn't know which was the worst.

"I guess not," said Kitsune. "Well, we've contacted your family about what's happened, and they're wishing you well." What she didn't tell him was how hard it was to make that call. She had been instructed that in the event that an Octonaut experiences a major medical emergency, they were to inform whoever was listed as their emergency contact in their medical records. She swore that she could hear poor Pearl crying on the other end. Shellington's face fell, and he huddled under the blanket.

"Oh, now, please look up at me," said Kitsune. "I have to take your temperature."

Shellington would not budge.

"Or not…never mind." Kitsune sighed and left the lab.

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In the library, Professor Inkling was showing Peso and Deborah an index of different types of octopi when Kitsune entered the room and slumped into a chair.

"What's wrong?" Deborah asked.

"This job is very difficult sometimes," said Kitsune. "Yesterday, when we went to fetch Sweetpea and Shellington, I felt very motivated, like nothing could get in my way. But now it's worn off, and I feel like I wouldn't be able to do it."

"Oh, Kitsune," said Peso, "a medic's job can be really hard sometimes. But we were very impressed by your work yesterday. Even Captain Barnacles was telling me about how efficient you were."

"That's very sweet," said Kitsune, "but I wish I could be like that all the time."

"Almost everyone feels like they're not good enough at their job every once in a while," said Professor Inkling.

Peso nodded. "And full disclosure; I feel like that almost every day. But you've done some amazing work for us, and haven't let me down once."

"Yeah," cooed Deborah. "I'm so grateful that you were there to help my sweet kelp cake."

The others stared at her. "Your sweet kelp cake?"

Realizing that she had said that out loud, Deborah giggled and blushed, hiding her face in her hooves.

"Nevertheless, we don't mind that you're not perfect," said Professor Inkling. "We care that you're diligent, hard-working, and above all, kind."

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Out in the Launch Bay, the rest of the crew was preparing a GUP to go back into the kelp forest. Captain Barnacles shot Kwazii a concerned glance; he hadn't said a word since last night. It was very eerie to not hear his voice for so long.

"Tweak, open the Octo-Hatch." Tweak opened the Octo-Hatch, and the GUP-C exited the Octopod with Kwazii, Dashi, and Elekai in tow.

"I hope I can at least get some nice photos," said Dashi. She had been keeping her head up high during the predicament. She exited the GUP with the two men not far behind her and swam into the kelp. She was preparing to take a photo when she noticed the kelp was looking at her. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was a mother kelp fish.

"Hello," said Dashi. "I didn't see you there."

"Hello," said the kelp fish. "I'm Gigi."

"Would you like to be in my photos?"

"Okay," said Gigi. She hid in the kelp with only her head poking out, as if she was playing peekaboo. Dashi snapped a picture.

"It looks perfect," said Dashi. Just then, she could hear fits of giggling coming from below her. Down in the sand on the sea floor, a group of baby kelp fish were flitting about.

"Those are my young," said Gigi. "I've been trying to teach them to camouflage, but they're not particularly interested."

"I think I can help you with that," said Kwazii in a noticeably subdued voice. He swam down to the baby fish, with Dashi, Elekai, and Gigi trailing behind.

"Hold on, I remember you," said Gigi. "You got your tiger-looking ship stuck in the kelp when I was a kid."

"Yeah, that was me," said Kwazii, chuckling a bit.

"Kids?" Gigi got her children's attention.

"Aw, mum, are we having another camouflage lesson?" The biggest one griped.

"You have to learn," said Gigi. "These big guys are going to help you."

The young fish grumbled, but got into order.

"What exactly is your plan?" Elekai asked Kwazii.

"Hide an' seek," said Kwazii. "All li'l kids love hide an' seek." He turned to the little fish. "You know how to play?"

The little fish all shook their heads.

"You hide in the kelp, and I come find you." Kwazii covered his bare eye and turned his back. "One, two, three…"

The little fish immediately caught on and swam into the kelp to hide.

"..eighteen, nineteen, twenty." Kwazii turned back around. The little fish were all hidden. He nudged his way into the maze of kelp. All he could see was a sea of green. He squinted, looking for a pair of black eyes somewhere,_ anywhere_.

"I don't know if I've ever seen you around before," said Gigi to Dashi and Elekai.

"We're visiting," said Dashi.

"We're here to gather information about the creatures who live here," said Elekai. "I will admit we are a bit behind on that."

"Why?" Gigi was curious.

Dashi shot Elekai a stern "don't elaborate" look. "Uh…personal issues."

In the kelp, Kwazii heard laughter. He pushed back a strand of kelp and found the first little fish. The little fish darted out and back to his mother.

"That one's Varech," said Gigi.

Kwazii smiled. This was kind of fun. He continued to search.

"I'm the fastest," said Varech to Elekai. "I'm super cool."

Back in the forest, Kwazii couldn't help feeling that something was following him. He shrugged it off and continued through the tangled mess of kelp. He nudged a bit of kelp aside, and one small bit remained in place. It was the second little fish!

"Aw, he got me." The second fish pouted.

Kwazii chuckled. "You're a cute li'l nipper."

"That's where I got my name; Nipper."

Kwazii chuckled. "I know someone whose name is Nipper."

Nipper looked behind Kwazii and snickered.

"What are ya laughin' about? Have I got catnip in my whiskers?" Kwazii flicked his head side to side, trying to figure out what Nipper was laughing at. He finally looked behind and saw what was so funny; the third little fish was behind him, making funny faces.

"Oh, Frieda!" The little fish laughed and chased each other around Kwazii's helmet. Kwazii just laughed. He brought them out to Gigi with a big grin.

"That was great," said Frieda. "I love playing hide and-"

"_Coming through!_"

A shovelnose guitarfish came rushing through the kelp, breezing past the Octonauts and the kelp fish. Gigi went flying and crashed into a rock. She yelled in pain.

The Octonauts swam over to her. "What's happened?"

Gigi looked up. She was majorly bruised. They all winced. Elekai put in a call to the Octopod. "Elekai to sick bay."

"Go ahead, Elekai." Peso responded.

"This kelp fish is injured badly. We need your help."

"We'll be there soon," said Peso. He turned to Kitsune. "Do you feel up for it?"

"Me?" Kitsune was taken aback. "B-but…I, uh…I'm supposed to be looking after Shellington."

"You can do it," said Peso. "All you have to do is do your best. I'll handle Shellington."

Kitsune shivered a bit, but took a deep breath and readied herself. "Okay. Here I go."

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Kitsune brought the GUP-E out into the kelp forest. She exited the GUP with a medical bag. "Where's the patient?"

"Here she is." The others brought Gigi forward.

Kitsune looked her over. "Let me bandage that up." She took out a roll of bandages and patched up Gigi's injury.

"Ooh, that feels so much better," said Gigi.

Kitsune sighed with relief. She had done it.

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Back at the Octopod, Kitsune returned to the sick bay. "I did it!"

"Fantastic!" Peso crowed. "I knew you could do it."

Kitsune gave a hearty sigh. "Has anything happened since I left?"

"I've got Shellington speaking again," said Peso. "He's very weak." He handed Kitsune a bottle of medicine. "I'd like it if you gave him a spoonful of this."

Kitsune nodded and went to the lab. Shellington was lightly napping.

Kitsune nudged him awake. "Wake up, love…"

Shellington stirred and opened his eyes. They were a little less dull than they had been in the morning.

"I need you to take your medicine." Kitsune poured out a spoonful. Shellington sighed, but sat up and took his medicine.

"There we are," said Kitsune. "That should get you through the night. Now, will you let me take your temperature?"

"Mmhmm." Shellington let her pop the thermometer into his mouth. They waited for a moment, and the thermometer beeped.

"38.6. Still a bit high." Kitsune put her hand on Shellington's forehead. "Are you getting any other symptoms? Sore throat? Headache?"

Shellington shook his head. "I just feel like a waterfall will come out of my mouth at any given moment."

Kitsune pet his fur. "I promise we're doing everything we can to help you, sweet. It's best you get some rest now."

Shellington nodded, and laid back down to go back to sleep. Kitsune left the room feeling on top of the world, where she ran into Deborah.

"I need to ask a favour," said Deborah.

"What is it?" Kitsune asked.

Deborah handed Kitsune her plush toy of Imogen. "I need you to give this to Shellington...I think he needs it more than I do."

Kitsune looked at the plush toy, and back up at Deborah's pleading eyes. She turned back into the lab and slipped the plush into Shellington's arms. He was a bit confused, but hugged it once he figured out what was happening.

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_Information about the kelp fish taken from Monterey Bay Aquarium._


	22. Even the Best Fall Down Sometimes

Disclaimer: Ditto

**Trigger Warning:** Those with emetophobia are recommended to skip this chapter.

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Barnacles was staring a hole through the bathroom mirror. The only audible sound was the hum of the Octopod running, but his mind was louder than a jet engine. All that was going through his head was blame.

_"It's your fault that Shellington has no self-esteem."_

_"It's your fault he has such crippling anxiety."_

_"It's your fault he had a mental breakdown."_

_"It's your fault for letting yourself and you crew mock him behind his back."_

_"It's your fault for not stepping in sooner."_

_"It's your fault."_

_"It's YOUR fault."_

_"It's YOUR FAULT."_

_"IT'S YOUR FAULT."_

_"**IT'S YOUR FAULT.**"_

He looked away from the mirror. He didn't want to look at himself anymore. He covered his face with his paw. How could he have let things come to this? Why didn't he do something sooner?

Suddenly, he heard someone frantically smacking at the door, wanting to come in. He opened the door, and Shellington nudged past him and vomited up several mouthfuls of water and whatever was left of his medicine into the toilet.

"_Look at him_," thought Barnacles. "_His sense of security has been so thoroughly destroyed that he feels he can't even keep a bin by his bed when he's sick_."

Shellington cleaned the vomit from his face and looked up at his captain. Barnacles got down on his knees, and the weak little otter clung to him like a burr.

Barnacles said nothing. He just held his cold, shaky crewmate.

"Captain…" Shellington whispered. "I'm sorry for disturbing you."

Barnacles clenched his teeth. This was not how a captain should act. "It's not your fault, champ."

"I know, but I just woke up and felt this sharp pain in my belly and I thought 'I can get to the bathroom'...I know my being ill is upsetting people, I just didn't want to make it worse-"

"No, really, it's fine." Barnacles hoisted Shellington up into his arms and pulled his nightcap back onto his head. "Come on, back to bed." He brought him back to bed. But he didn't leave. He stayed there and pulled up a chair.

"What are you doing?" Shellington croaked.

"I'm not ready to leave your side just yet," said Barnacles. "I made a mistake. A very big mistake." He took a moment to find the words before opening up. "When I became captain, I swore that I would treat every last one of my crewmates with the utmost respect, no matter what. And I made you feel like that respect was something you didn't deserve and had to earn."

"But Captain…" Shellington rubbed his eyes, "I thought respect was something you're supposed to earn."

"No, no. Respect is a given. Maintaining that respect is what's earned." Barnacles looked deep into Shellington's eyes. "I aimed to treat you respectfully from the moment I found you. And to this day, you've proven time and time again that you still deserve that respect."

Shellington was quiet. He simply adjusted himself so he could lie on his side.

"Do you remember when you woke up and your books were misplaced? Something about _Princess Pelican_ or whatever it's called?"

Shellington nodded.

"That was my fault. I borrowed one of your books for a mission. Didn't want you knowing it was missing."

Shellington pouted.

"I know it wasn't right, but it was late at night and I didn't want to wake you. So…I just let you believe that your mind was slipping."

Shellington averted eye contact.

"…I understand now why you didn't want to come to me and talk about your problems." Barnacles sighed. "It was _me_ who was the problem."

Shellington sighed. "I would have preferred having you in school, instead of that brutish bulldog I got."

Barnacles presses his paw against Shellington's forehead. He felt warm. Shellington moaned. "I feel dreadful."

"There's a cloth on the side table," said Barnacles, looking to the side. He picked it up. It was warm and damp. He got up to soak it in cold water, rung it out, then came back to the lab and pressed it to Shellington's forehead. He squirmed and fussed a bit, but reluctantly accepted this attempt at relieving his fever.

"Captain, I..." Shellington wiggled a bit further under the blanket. "I hope this isn't too much trouble for you."

Barnacles stiffened his expression. His eyes were stinging, but he resisted the urge to cry. "On my honour as an Octonaut, and as your guardian, I swear that things are going to change around here."

Shellington gave him a weak smile before drifting off again.

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The Octopod powered up for the day. Barnacles, who had been half-asleep for the past few hours, came back around. He looked over at Shellington, who was sound asleep. He growled.

"_It's your fault_."

He got up and exited the lab.

"What kind of captain am I?"

He went up to his own bedroom. For some reason, everything in the room felt drained of colour.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, the rest of the Octonauts were quietly eating their breakfast.

Once again, it was Lekona who broke the silence. "So…how is everyone doing this morning?"

"Koshi's finally gotten to _The Mysterious Whisper of Windwillow Meadow_," said Dashi.

"Anita built her own toaster," said Tweak.

"Ichiro has taken up painting," said Kitsune.

"Susan from school got a boyfriend," said Deborah.

"Very nice, ladies," said Lekona. "Men? Anything to declare?"

The male Octonauts all remained silent.

"Say, what's taking the captain so long?" Lekona asked, getting up to go find him. When he entered the captain's quarters, he found him sitting on his bed, blankly staring.

"Captain? Are you alright?"

Barnacles looked up at Lekona and scowled. He was not happy. And if he wasn't happy, why should anyone else be? "Out."

"But Captain, your breakfast-"

"Get. Out."

Lekona held his tongue and left the room.

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It was now later in the evening. Barnacles had still not come out of his room.

"Someone should go see him," said Elekai.

"I will." Deborah volunteered herself. She hopped down the Octo-Chute heading for the captain's quarters. It was a rather new experience for her; being both a junior officer and the youngest Octonaut put her at the bottom of the food chain, and thus she had never been permitted to enter that room before. When she came in, something immediately felt…off. It felt wrong.

"Captain?"

Barnacles looked up.

"You haven't been out of your room all day." She approached him. "You must be really upset about this."

Now, normally Barnacles enjoyed Deborah's company. One might say she felt like a niece or even a daughter to him.

But this time?

Something inside of him just.

_Completely._

**Snapped.**

"Why shouldn't I be mad?! That kid had a mental breakdown right there in my arms, and not only did I do nothing to prevent it, _I_ was the goddamn problem the whole time!"

Deborah's shoulders tensed up. "Well…you didn't know he was taking it so personally. You know, sometimes it's hard to tell when friendly teasing is going too far."

"There was nothing friendly about what I was doing!" Barnacles towered over Deborah. "How can you be staying so happy about this?!"

Now Deborah was starting to feel threatened. "Uh…well, I never really said anything about him. And when I go and talk to Peso, he says Shellington's getting better. So he's not gonna be in bed forever. Soon he'll be better and everything will be alright."

"Oh, you naïve child," said Barnacles, "do you not realize how serious this is?!"

"Y-yes," said Deborah, taking a step back. "I know that things are really hard for him. But Peso says his temperature is going down and he's reading again. He's healing, captain."

"Oh my god, Deborah," grumbled Barnacles, "physical healing and mental healing are not the same! He's cooled down, he can look at a goddamn slab of paper and ink, that doesn't mean he's not still torn up inside because I treated him like garbage!"

"You weren't treating him poorly," said Deborah. "You were saying some things you didn't realize were hurt-"

"Do you not hear yourself?!" Barnacles was full-on shouting at Deborah. "You don't even realize what's going on! I tore that boy down brick by brick, I eviscerated his self-esteem, and you have the nerve to come in here with your healing optimism rubbish! Tell me, what have you done at all for him?! Because as far I can see, all you've done is keep your bratty ass out of the way! Nothing at all to help him or make him feel good about himself, no, you just float along just off the radar hoping no one sees you! Honestly, I should have left you in the library!"

Deborah was trembling from the tips of her ears all the way down to the bottom of her hooves. Her breath was shaky, and there were tears in her eyes. Finally, she exploded. "What did I ever do to you?! You're upset with me because of what happened and you decide to do the exact same thing to me _knowingly_ that you did to him by accident?! And how does believing that nothing hurts forever make a brat?!"

Barnacles gave her a stern, angry look. "There is a difference between abuse and discipline."

"You're just like my dad, you _bastard_!" Deborah ran out of the room with her entire face flooded and didn't stop until she reached her quarters, where she promptly slammed herself into her bed and continued wailing.

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Lekona was wandering the halls with an empty mind when he heard the sobbing coming from Deborah's quarters. He opened her door and found her still wailing.

"Hey..." He went over to her and put a paw on her back. "What's all this boohooing about?"

Deborah sat up and relayed her entire confrontation to him through hiccups and tears. Lekona's eyes went wide. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"...Oh my god," was all he could say. He held Deborah and rubbed her back.

Deborah sniffed. "My dad never held me like this."

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"I honestly can't believe him."

Shellington woke from his sleepy trance when he heard Elekai's voice.

"It's disgraceful." He could hear Lekona now. "Captain or not, I would have punched his lights out if he had said any of that to me."

"...Do you think she'll quit?"

"Not her. Deborah's as stubborn as she is sweet, she'd never give this job up."

Now Shellington got the message. Captain Barnacles had been shouting to Deborah.

No doubt it was his fault.

He pressed the blanket to his face and sobbed.

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It was late into the night. Barnacles was lying awake in bed. His earlier words were still running through his mind.

"_Sweet Jesus. I really said that to her._"

It crashed over him like a wave.

"_What the hell was I thinking?_"

He stared blankly into the dark, unforgiving abyss of the ocean. And he did something he hadn't done in thirteen years.

He cried.

It wasn't ugly, but it wasn't beautiful either. It was just hot, angry liquid flowing from his eyes.

"_Now I've gone and broken two of them._"

He heaved a heavy, shaky sigh and closed his eyes.

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_I honestly don't think I can write an appropriate outro to this._


	23. The Undersea Twister

_Disclaimer: Do I even need one at this point?_

_**Trigger Warning: **__Those who are sensitive to the topic of workplace abuse/violence are recommended to skip this chapter._

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It was the last day at the kelp forest. The mood of the Octopod was very tense. In the library, Deborah was angrily shelving books, dressed in black and red in lieu of her normal lavender.

"I've been informed that you got into a shouting match with the captain last night," said Professor Inkling. "What happened?"

"It's just not fair!" Deborah griped. "I was only going up to talk to him about what's wrong, and he yelled at me like it was _my _fault! As if I was to blame for everything that's happened the past few days." She clenched her jaw for a moment, but continued. "And then I got mad, and I…said some things I shouldn't have." She hung her head. "I am _so _fired."

"I highly doubt he'll dismiss you," said Professor Inkling. "He's been with us since the very beginning, back when he was your age. I've seen him from his first day as a junior lieutenant all the way up to today."

"I know that," said Deborah. "He told me about it."

"Well, I don't know if he told you this, but every time one of the previous Octonauts left for greener pastures, the loss always hit him the hardest. He'd mope for at least a week afterwards."

"Why are you telling me this?" Deborah's anger was fading and being overtaken by curiosity.

"Well, now that's he's the only member left from the original crew, not including myself of course, he'll do anything in his power to keep everyone on board. I know that a single spat isn't going to convince him to let you go."

Deborah was quiet for a moment, before going over and sitting in the chair next to the professor. "Has an Octonaut ever been fired before?"

"Only one," said Professor Inkling with a grim expression. "Seacliff Fox. He came into our lives almost fifteen years ago. When I met him, I admired his strength, and I thought he would be a good addition to the team. After about a year, Captain Amazonite was severely injured and had to retire early, and Seacliff took over." He sighed greatly. "That was when he showed his true colours."

"What happened?" Deborah leaned forward.

"He was reckless, and abused the staff. Things became very tense and gloomy aboard the Octo-Base. Every night, I'd curse myself for allowing Amazonite to be injured. Then one day, he hit a junior officer across the face. She fell and broke some glass. She quit the very next day." Professor Inkling looked at Deborah with firm eyes. "That day, I snapped. I fired him and told him never to return. Not a day goes by where I don't feel guilty for allowing him into our lives. There are still nights where I remember those words...'I can't stay here any longer'." Upon seeing Deborah's horrified expression, his face softened. "But then, things got better."

"How?"

"Not long after Seacliff left, I appointed Barnacles as our new captain. Slowly but surely, we all healed from what happened to us." He adjusted his monocle. "Although sometimes I wonder whatever became of poor little Zulimar. My point is that scars may be forever, but the wounds that caused them heal. You may never forget what he said to you, but as time passes on, the sting will wane."

"I don't want to forgive him. Not yet, anyway." Deborah crossed her arms.

"And it is within your rights to do so. Quite frankly, I was appalled to hear what he said to you. As for you, you may forgive him in an hour, or in a year. Perhaps you may never forgive him. That is a wound that still aches. But even when it does heal, it's up to you to decide whether you want to be angry at the scar, or make peace with it."

Deborah was quiet as she thought about it. "I knew a girl who got expelled from school," she said at last. "Her name was Sarabi. We had some of the same classes together. She had a temper problem, and one day they expelled her for fighting."

Just then, they heard a chattering noise. Deborah got up and went to the door, where she found the Vegimals gathered just outside the library. They looked scared to see Deborah looking so…dark.

"What's going on?" She asked.

The Vegimals babbled to each other for a moment, before Tunip finally spoke. "Cheepa Shellydo!"

"Shellydo! Shellydo!" The others chimed in.

Deborah caught on. "You want to go see Shellington?" All of the Vegimals bobbed their heads in unison. "I'm not sure. I don't know if he wants to see you."

The Vegimals looked dumbfounded. Shellington not want _us _around? Who could conceive it?

"But I guess you never know unless you try." Deborah herded the Vegimals into a line and brought them to the lab.

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Deborah quietly slipped into the back room, with Tunip and the Vegimals trailing behind her. Shellington was sleeping quietly, still clinging to the Imogen plush toy. Deborah gently woke him by tapping his shoulder. He stirred and stretched his eyes open.

"Good morning." Deborah crooned softly. She nudged Tunip forward. "Someone wanted to see you."

Tunip began having second doubts about wanting to see Shellington. He looked terrible; his face was pale and crestfallen, and his fur was frazzled and a bit greasy. Tunip thought he looked like a ghoul.

"Deborah?" Shellington croaked. "I'm sorry."

Deborah cocked her head. "For what?"

"For getting you in trouble with the captain." Shellington sat up and gave the Imogen plush back to Deborah.

"Oh, don't say that." Deborah sat down on the bed. "It's not your fault that he can't control his goddamn temper and not scream at an intern and call her a brat."

Shellington was a bit taken aback by Deborah's harsher-than-expected-from-a-normally-sweet-as-sugar-girl tone.

"It was like being yelled at by my dad all over again." Deborah huffed.

Shellington shuddered.

"But this isn't about him," said Deborah. She sat down on the bed and handed the Imogen plush back. Tunip pulled himself onto the bed as well, signaling for the other Vegimals to come into the room and crowded around their favourite caregiver.

"Shellydo gabadazu?" Tunip gabbled.

"I think so," said Shellington. "I felt very empty and alone for the past day or two, but I'm beginning to feel like myself again. I find that reading my books makes me feel a lot better." His stomach bubbled. "Oh, but I don't know if I'm still sick or just hungry."

Deborah squeezed his paw and the Vegimals all clung to him.

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"We'll be taking off in twenty minutes, captain." Dashi said in an unamused, almost monotone voice.

"Excellent, Dashi." The other Octonauts had been very cold and distant with their captain since the incident from the previous night. He didn't argue; he believed he deserved it.

Just then, the screen began to beep. Dashi pulled up the storm tracker. "There's an undersea twister coming our way. We'll have to take off early." She began to prepare for launch when there was a yelp from outside the Octopod. A little fish was flitting around, looking scared. "That creature looks like it needs our help."

"Stand by. I'll go get 'em." Lekona went down to the launch bay, out through the Octo-Hatch, and into the water.

"I'm lost! Can you help me?!" The fish swam circles around Lekona's head.

"Calm down, li'l fella. We're here to help. Follow me." Lekona put in a call. "Lekona to Deborah."

"Deborah here," said Deborah, from the lab.

"We've got a lost fish out here who needs your help," said Lekona.

"That's an angelfish," said Deborah. "They don't belong in the kelp forest. I'll be there soon."

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A few minutes later, the angelfish was in a nice, spacious tank.

"Thank you all for helping me. My name is Jellybean. I don't belong in this kelp forest; I'm supposed to be on more open waters."

"We're moving our ship into open waters soon," said Deborah. "We could drop you off there."

"Oh, that'd be wonderful," said Jellybean.

Deborah was taking notes to keep for later, when all of a sudden, the Octo-Alert took her by surprise!

"Octonauts, to the HQ!"

The Octo-Alert blared throughout the Octopod, and the crew rushed to HQ.

"Octonauts, an undersea twister is approaching fast. We have to leave the area immediately. Everyone must secure any items that could fall or be damaged."

The Octopod was put into manual steering and took off, while the Octonauts all rushed to secure the ship.

Deborah returned to the lab and slipped into the back room, where the Vegimals were all babbling out a story to Shellington. "We're taking off," she said to the residents of the room. "You might want to hold onto something." The Vegimals all clung onto Shellington.

Deborah was running over to Jellybean's tank to secure the lid when the whole Octopod began to tilt. The tank shifted and tipped over onto its side. The water splashed all over the floor. Deborah managed to catch Jellybean in a bowl before she hit the floor.

"Oh, no! This simply will not do!" Jellybean splashed her fins. "I can't survive in such shallow water!"

"Hold on," said Deborah. "There's another tank in the ship. I'll get you there." She entered the hallway in pursuit of the sick bay.

Up at the steering wheel, Captain Barnacles was struggling to keep the Octopod on the right path. If they went back any further, they would be sucked into the twister.

The ship faltered. The twister was strong.

Down in the hallway, Deborah was stumbling her way towards the sick bay, struggling to keep both the water and Jellybean in the bowl.

With a mighty roar, Captain Barnacles pushed forward, and escaped the slipstream of the twister. The ship was practically in turbo mode as they blasted forward, away from the danger.

In the hallway, Deborah finally reached her destination. She burst into the sick bay.

"Peso! Tank! Jellybean! Breathe!" She sputtered. Peso, despite Deborah's poor grammar, got the message and released Jellybean into the tank.

Deborah heaved a great sigh of relief. "Thank God."

Not long after, the Octopod landed. They were safe.

Peso released Jellybean from the sick bay tank into the open water. Outside, Jellybean flitted about.

"This is exactly where I belong! Thank you, Octonauts!"

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Later in the evening, Captain Barnacles slipped into the back room of the lab, where Shellington and Deborah were reading a book together. Upon seeing him, Deborah narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow.

Captain Barnacles shook his head and looked past her. "How are you holding up, champ?"

"The ride was very bumpy…but I didn't throw up."

Captain Barnacles brushed his paw against Shellington's forehead. "You don't feel warm anymore."

Shellington smiled. "That's good. I've been feeling so sweaty."

Captain Barnacles nodded, then turned to Deborah. Deborah refused to even look at him. He sighed. "I understand that what I said you struck a nerve."

Deborah didn't respond.

Captain Barnacles sat down next to her. "What exactly did your father do to you?"

"He's an old bastard," said Deborah. "We had to tell him I'd been accepted into a good college on a fully-paid scholarship just so I could come here, 'cause I know he'll have a friggin' conniption if he finds out I'm working under a polar bear."

Captain Barnacles stiffened his expression. "Your father only wants you working for another deer."

"Yeah," said Deborah. "He couldn't do anything about our schoolteachers 'cause it was public school and all the other parents would tear him a new one if he tried to pull his crap there, but everything else is fair game for him. That's why Margaret had to quit her part-time job at Triton's Go-To Mart; cause her boss was a tiger and not a deer. That and he thinks a woman's place is in the home."

Now Captain Barnacles was starting to get pissed. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. He told her she had to be home after school helping Mom cook dinner. Plus, my mom couldn't work once she married him. Oh, but David can go out and be up all night working at the gas station with stupid Walter. He probably would have let us do that too, but _noooo_, we couldn't 'cause we were Margaret and Deborah and not Michael and Dennis."

Captain Barnacles was almost shaking with silent rage. "_That was who I reminded her of. That racist, no-good son of a bitch…and I was acting just like him._"

"You know something? I was bet if it was Margaret who suddenly came home with a baby, he would have thrown her out and never spoke to her or the kid ever again. But no, it was David who turned up with a newborn out of the blue, and wouldn't ya know, little Stacy is now his 'golden grand-girl'."

"Hold on, what do you mean, 'out of the blue'?" Both men were confused.

"Stacy was a bit of a surprise. David's girlfriend Pamela originally was gonna wait until marriage, but they slipped up and had her a few months before their wedding. David didn't tell our parents about Stacy until after she was born because he and Pamela were so scared about how they would react. We all love her, and so does Pam's family." Deborah sighed. "I just hope Stacy wants to take after Pam's dad and not mine. Pam's dad is the greatest."

Shellington shook his head. "Bigotry is never inherited; always learned."

"It's so dumb! And it's not even David's fault! He tries to only visit when my dad isn't home because he doesn't want him around Stacy." Deborah pouted. "Hell, _you're _more of a granddad to her, and you don't even know her!"

Captain Barnacles was a bit taken aback. He didn't know what he expected from an angry Deborah, but it sure wasn't a declaration of honorary grand-fatherhood. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm truly impressed that you never punched your father in the nose for everything he's done, alright? I would have beaten his ass for that. And I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am that I said those things to you and ever acted like that useless lump."

Deborah scrunched up her face. "I don't care what my dad says anyway, cause my mom, Margaret and I have still done great things. My mom was in the Home and School Association for fourteen years, Margaret leads a great Girl Guide troop, and I'm an Octonaut. So his opinions are useless, cause I and all the other women in my life are stronger than he'll ever be. Even that snooty girl Karen from school."

Both smiled and hugged each other; things were forgiven. "Listen, princess, I can't fix your father," said Captain Barnacles, "but I can certainly give you a shoulder to lean on. That much I can do."

Deborah cooed and laid her head on his shoulder. Things were peaceful again down in the deep blue sea.

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_Information about the angelfish taken from Fishlore_


	24. Heal

_Disclaimer: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh cupcakes._

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Opinions are opinions and everyone has their own, but most would agree that being hurt sucks. But the cool thing about wounds is that they heal. Even if you're never the same again, one day they just won't hurt anymore.

And just like any other wound, the wounds around the Octopod were healing nicely; especially for Shellington. He had taken a nice hot shower and had been holding down meals regularly. Most importantly, he had Deborah and the Vegimals by his side.

"Shellydo gabada," chirped Tominnow.

"Yes, I am feeling better." Shellington said softly as he nuzzled closer into the blanket. His fur was still slightly damp from his shower and he was getting chilly.

"I'm happy that things are okay again," said Deborah. Both of them laid down and made themselves comfortable on the bed.

"I really missed your lessons," said Deborah. "I never realized how long the day was without them."

"I…I missed them too," said Shellington shyly.

"You know…" Deborah shifted a bit. "I think you're a really, really great guy and really sweet."

"Yeah?" Shellington blushed. "Well…IthinkyourethegreatestsweetestmostfantasticladyIveevermet!" He put a paw over his mouth. He didn't intend for that to come all out at once.

Deborah giggled. "You're a wonderful man, Shellington."

"Oliver."

Deborah was confused. "What?"

"That's my first name," said Shellington. "I chose to go by my surname so people would take me more seriously."

"It's a beautiful name," said Deborah. "I'm gonna call you Ollie."

Just then, Tunip toddled into the room with a steaming bowl. "Dooba soupa!"

"Is this for me?" Shellington smiled and took the bowl. "That's very sweet of you, thank you." He took a sip. "Oh, kelp soup, my favourite!"

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It was midnight, and the Octonauts were all fast asleep.

Except for Shellington and Deborah. Those rascals were still wide awake and chatting the night away.

"And that's why I never ate pickles ever again," said Deborah.

Shellington nodded, a little grossed out by her story. "Do you have a middle name?"

"Yeah," said Deborah. "It's Marylou."

"That's a much nicer middle name than mine. My middle name is friggin' _Quincy_."

"Oliver Quincy…" Deborah rolled it around in her head. "It has a nice ring to it. Certainly rolls off the tongue easier than Deborah Marylou."

…

"Have you ever kissed someone before?"

"Once," said Deborah, "in high school. It was my best friend Donna. She was…I guess 'curious' is the word, and we just…kinda…went for it. I thought it was nice."

Shellington's eyes went wide. He didn't expect Deborah to have kissed anyone, let alone a girl.

"I feel like I might be bi, but I don't really know. I didn't date much in high school."

"Neither did I…" Shellington was casually petting Codish's head. "But I did pine after the greatest guy in school. His name was Glenn, and he was just…perfect. But I was too shy to say anything, and he got together with someone else. But I guess it's my own fault for not ever saying anything. And besides, that Eileen is quite a catch herself."

"Yeah? You should see Susan from school's boyfriend, Robert. Now _that _is a hunk a' burning love." Deborah swooned.

Both realized that they were pining for other people right in front of each other, and laughed awkwardly.

"I love you, Debbie."

"I love you, Ollie."

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_And there we have it! The Kelp Forest arc and Season 1 as a whole have both come to an end!_

_This is the end of Season 1, but it's not the end of Junior Officers, as Season 2 will be coming very soon! It's gonna have new adventures, new friends, and (gasp!) a new Junior Officer! Stay tuned!_

_\- Kedabory_


	25. New Squirrel in Town

_Disclaimer: Watermelon._

_**Trigger Warning:** Those who are sensitive to the topic of neglectful parents are recommended to skip this chapter (don't worry, you'll still get to know Sarabi)._

BKPSDITTEKDLS (new transition woo!)

It was a fair morning aboard the Octopod. The Octonauts were gathered in HQ for a special meeting.

"Octonauts," said Captain Barnacles, "I'd like you all to meet our newest junior officer." He brought forward a short squirrel. "This is Sarabi."

Sarabi looked angry, and like she didn't want to be there. None of the Octonauts knew what to think of her. Deborah was surprised to see her former classmate again.

"She's coming here from a rough situation," said Captain Barnacles. "I ask that you be mindful of that."

"I'm always happy to have new mateys on board," said Kwazii, approaching Sarabi and extending a paw. "The name's Kwazii."

Sarabi looked at his paw, then up at him. She scowled unapprovingly. "Good for you. I don't care."

Kwazii pressed his lips together. "…Alright."

Realizing that maybe Sarabi wasn't in the best mood to be around people, Captain Barnacles put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll show you to your quarters."

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Sarabi was holed up in her quarters when she heard a knock at the door. She reluctantly got up to answer. It was Deborah.

"Hi," said Deborah softly. "Remember me?"

"Sort of," said Sarabi.

"So," said Deborah, trying to start up a conversation, "what happened after…you know?"

"Went to a different school," said Sarabi, turning to go back to her little bed. "Worked just hard enough to graduate. I was going to go work some sucky job at Tim's or something so I could move out, but this is way better."

Deborah nodded. "We weren't exactly close. Maybe we could change that."

"I think I'm good." Sarabi went back to her comic book.

Deborah was dejected. "But I thought we were friends."

"I don't have friends." Sarabi didn't even look up.

Deborah's face fell and she left the room.

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Later, the Octonauts all gathered in the kitchen for dinner. Of course, everyone was highly curious about Sarabi.

"So, what are your interests?" Professor Inkling asked.

"I'm a fighter," said Sarabi. "In school, I'd take pictures of the bullies and rude bitches and send them to the principal."

"Okay…" He didn't exactly know how to respond to that.

"It was the only thing that kept me in the principal's good graces. If I didn't show him who to yell at, he probably would have dished it out on me."

"You got a family?" Tweak asked.

Sarabi scowled. "No."

"Friends?"

"Don't have those, either. No one really cares about me, and I honestly don't care enough to change that."

"Do you have any skills you're good at?" Dashi asked.

"I'd said I'm a pretty good cook," said Sarabi. "Kinda comes with the territory when you basically have to take care of yourself because your useless mother's out hopping from man to man like the entire male population is going extinct."

"…Well, that's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"Oh, no, that's me being nice." Sarabi pulled her dinner apart with a fork. "Seriously, if anyone comes up to you claiming they're my parent, kick 'em to the curb, because as far as I'm concerned, I'm an orphan."

No one knew what to say next. They all silently went back to eating.

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Later that night, Sarabi was putting her things away when Captain Barnacles entered her quarters.

"Yeah?" She turned around.

"Are you sure you're fitting into this?"

Sarabi cocked an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"You seemed tense at dinner; I thought the questions were upsetting you."

"Honestly, I don't care." Sarabi plugged her phone charger in.

"Alright. You live here; you have the right to feel safe here." Captain Barnacles, satisfied with the answer he received, left the room. Sarabi went to her bed and sat down so she could finally finish her damn comic book.

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_And with that, Season 2 has started! It's gonna be bigger, it's gonna be wilder, and it's gonna have way more cursing! Hooray!_


	26. When a Boy Meets a Squirrel

_Disclaimer: Feed the cat. Or whatever pet you have._

BKPSDITTEKDLS

The ocean was calm, and the sky was cloudy. Sarabi was in her quarters, hiding from the other Octonauts, when she heard a knock at the door. She got up to answer it.

"Ahoy," said Kwazii. "I know we didn't get off on the wrong foot, but I'm hoping we can work things out."

"Whatever," said Sarabi, going with him.

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Up in the Games Pod, Kwazii set up the table tennis game. Both of them picked up a paddle and began playing. Kwazii was surprised at how intense Sarabi was when she hit the ball.

"You must really like this game," said Kwazii.

"I like hitting the ball," said Sarabi.

Kwazii shrugged. Sarabi seemed like she had some pent-up anger the other day; maybe this was cathartic to her. Too cathartic, maybe; her aggression caused many instances of balls flying into the wall. "Okay, I think that's enough table tennis."

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Kwazii and Sarabi were now in the lab for another fun activity; trolling the captain with very elaborate puns.

"Get in the box," said Kwazii.

"I still don't know why you want me to do this," said Shellington, getting in the box anyway.

"Shush, here he comes!" Sarabi closed the box as Captain Barnacles entered the room.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Captain, open this box."

Captain Barnacles gave them a weird look, but opened the box.

"…The only requirement to be an Octonaut is a diploma from either high school or secondary school." Shellington said sheepishly.

Captain Barnacles looked up. "Kwazii, why is Shellington in a box?"

"It's a FAQ-in-the-box."

Captain Barnacles was silent for a moment, then, with a defeated look, shook his head, sighed, and turned to exit. "You drive me up the damn wall sometimes…"

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Up in HQ, Kwazii and Sarabi were seated at opposite ends of the table for an arm wrestling match.

"Three, two, one, go." Lekona gave them their start and they began their arm wrestle. Because he was much bigger than Sarabi, Kwazii was staring to push her arm down. Sarabi gritted her teeth and squeezed his paw as hard as she could.

"Hey, matey, your claws are pretty sharp-"

Too late; Sarabi had him distracted just long enough to overpower him and win.

"That was sneaky," grumbled Kwazii as he freed his paw from Sarabi's grip.

"It's my secret weapon," said Sarabi. "It's how I beat that asshole Braden when he challenged me."

Kwazii smirked. "You're a funky little squirrel."

Sarabi shrugged. "You're cool too."

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_I hope at least one of you remembers the "get in the box" thing from my Tumblr._

_Also no, we're not shipping Kwazii and Sarabi because he's 25 and she's 18 and that's gross…and also Sarabi's lesbian so they're incompatible anyway._


	27. Cooking with Sarabi

_Disclaimer: Shameless self-promotion time: I'm writing another fanfic on the side called "Rise of the Save-Ums", which is a parody of both the Save-Ums cartoon and live-action adaptations of cartoons in general. If that interests you, check it out!_

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"Alright, Vegimals, listen up!"

The Vegimals were lined up in a perfect little row in front of Sarabi. She was going to show them how to make her favourite cookie recipe.

"First you mix the dry ingredients." Sarabi put some flour, white and brown sugar, baking soda, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. The Vegimals watched her, cheeping to themselves.

Sarabi turned around. "Are you watching?"

The Vegimals nodded.

"Good. Now you put the wet ingredients in and mix it." She poured in the vanilla, cracked an egg, and threw in some butter. "You got an electric mixer?"

Grouber handed her an electric mixer. Sarabi plugged it in and mixed everything together. All the Vegimals covered their ears at the noise.

"Okay, now for the most important part of the cookie." Sarabi poured in an entire bag of chocolate chips into the batter.

"Ididadoma?" Tunip asked Sarabi.

"What?"

Tunip continued babbling. Sarabi sighed and picked him up.

"Watch the batter. I'm going to go get your translator." She went to find Shellington. "Hey, nerd, you need to translate your child."

Tunip repeated his words to Shellington.

"'Isn't that too much'…too much of what?" Shellington cocked his head.

"The chocolate chips?" Sarabi asked. Tunip nodded. "Absolutely not. The more chocolate in 'em, the better." She went back to the kitchen, where she found the rest of the Vegimals staring intently at the bowl of batter. She shooed them off the counter to continue.

"Alright, now we need a baking pan." Codish handed Sarabi a pan, and she rolled out some dough onto the tray. There was so much batter that she actually needed a second pan to fit them all. She put them both in the oven, which had already been preheated to the perfect temperature thanks to the power of plot convenience.

"All that's left to do now is wait."

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About thirty-five minutes of playing and babbling to Sarabi later, the Vegimals were taking the cookies out of the oven.

Sarabi picked one up and took a bite. You may be wondering 'aren't those cookies hot?'. To which I say; yes, but Sarabi doesn't care. "Crispy around the edges with a soft, gooey inside," she said. "The best kind of cookie."

"Cheepa cheepa!" The Vegimals cheeped.

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_Information about chocolate chip cookies taken from Wikipedia_


	28. Whitefish and Lampreys

_Disclaimer: Congratulations Biden and Harris!_

_Apologies for the hiatus, I was focusing on other things. But I am back!_

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It was a chilly day under the sea. The Octopod was driving through the Arctic Ocean on the way to the Mackenzie River. The Octonauts were all bundled up in their warm clothing.

"See, she's now learning ice magic." Deborah was raving about the third and current season of _Intergalactic Imogen_. "Charlie's teaching her to walk on water."

Dashi was rather interested. Sarabi was not.

"We're almost there," said Captain Barnacles. "Tracker told me the guy we're looking for is waiting for us right where the river begins." Dashi parked the Octopod just a few feet away from the beginning of the river. Upon arrival, Captain Barnacles sounded the Octo-Alert.

"Octonauts, to the HQ!"

The Octo-Alert blared throughout the Octopod, and the Octonauts all rushed to the HQ.

"Octonauts, Tracker has sent us on a mission to help a school of lake whitefish, who are being attacked by sea lampreys."

"Sea lampreys are parasitic," said Shellington. "They're very dangerous to the whitefish."

"We've got to help them. Kwazii, Peso, Sarabi, into the GUP."

Captain Barnacles, Kwazii, Peso, and Sarabi went down to the launch bay and exited the Octopod in the GUP-C to find the guy they were looking for. Waiting by the side of the river was a caribou, shivering in his boots.

Captain Barnacles reached out to shake his hoof. "Are you Carolus Caribou?"

"Yes," said Carolus. "You must be the guys that Tracker sent my way. I'll show you to the whitefish."

Carolus led Captain Barnacles, Kwazii, Peso, and Sarabi down the river to a school of lake whitefish. Some of them had lampreys stuck to their bodies. They looked like they were in great pain.

"Let me help you," said Peso. He began to ease the lampreys off of the fish and patching up their bite marks. Kwazii took the lampreys and put them in a bucket to be supplied with fish biscuits and relocated.

"Look at 'em," said Kwazii. "They cling onto the fish biscuits tight!"

"Lampreys have lot of tiny teeth that they user to bite their victims and feed on their body tissue," said Captain Barnacles. "They're invasive to this area. We're going to bring them to the Mediterranean Sea, where they belong."

Peso eased a lamprey off of a small fish, who was weak and whimpering. As he began to bandage up the fish, he handed the lamprey off to Sarabi.

Sarabi looked at the lamprey.

"_I could crush your tiny parasitic ass if I wanted to,_" she thought. "_Going around hurting these poor fish even though they didn't do anything wrong._"

"Sarabi?" Captain Barnacles prodded her. She looked up. "You should probably put that lamprey with the rest. He might bite you."

Sarabi clenched her jaw. "_Maybe not. I guess you're a creature too._" She slipped the lamprey into the bucket.

Once every fish had been freed from the lampreys, Carolus directed the school towards a patch of grass that was covered in wriggly insect larvae. "Lake whitefish love insect larvae."

"_Gross,_" thought Sarabi. The fish began to feed.

"I've got the lampreys," said Kwazii. "Le's get 'em to the Mediterranean Sea." They brought the bucket back to the GUP, bid farewell to Carolus, and headed back to the Octopod.

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The Octopod was on course to the Mediterranean Sea to return the sea lampreys to their natural habitat. Captain Barnacles was going to talk to Sarabi.

"What was that little staring contest with the lamprey all about?"

"I was angry at it," said Sarabi. "I wanted to crush it for hurting those fish. But I didn't. It may have been a dirty parasite, but it was only doin' what parasites do best."

Captain Barnacles pursed his lips. He didn't exactly know how to respond to that. "…Well, I'm glad you made the right choice." He exited the room. What exactly was he supposed to do with her?

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_Information about the Mackenzie River, lake whitefish, and sea lampreys taken from Wikipedia._


	29. Atlantis: The Lost Octonaut

_Disclaimer: I would like to clarify that the title is referencing the Disney film "Atlantis: The Lost Empire", and not the Nickelodeon series "Avatar: The Last Airbender"._

BKPSDITTEKDLS

The Octopod was driving through the Irish Sea on a chilly day. Sarabi was helping the Vegimals chop kelp for lunch, when the Octo-Alert went off.

"Octonauts, to the launch bay!"

The Octo-Alert blared throughout the Octopod, and the crew rushed to the launch bay.

"Octonauts, we've received a signal from Drogheda that there's a rubbish patch in the water that needs to be cleared up."

"D'you know who it's from?" Kwazii asked.

"We lost connection before we could get her name," said Captain Barnacles.

"If they were able to contact us, it must be someone we know," said Professor Inkling.

"We're going to investigate. Kwazii, Peso, Tweak, into the GUP." The four of them entered the GUP-A. "Elekai, open the Octo-Hatch." Elekai opened the Octo-Hatch, and off they went.

"How could there be a signal out in Drogheda?" Tweak was confused. "We never installed anything out there."

The GUP-A surfaced. Sure enough, there was a patch of plastic waste floating in the water. And standing by the shore was a familiar face.

"Atlantis!" Captain Barnacles instantly recognized his old crewmate.

"Oh, I knew you'd come!" Atlantis was beaming. The other Octonauts exited the GUP. Atlantis went through the normal hugs and how-are-yous with Captain Barnacles, Kwazii, and Tweak.

"Who's this?" Atlantis asked when she noticed Peso.

"This is Peso, he's our medic," said Captain Barnacles. "Peso, this is Atlantis. She worked with us before you joined."

"Pleased to meet you," said Peso shyly, shaking Atlantis's paw.

"Spellbound," said Atlantis. "I called you because of this patch of rubbish in the water. I don't think I can clear it myself; I've been having problems with my back recently."

That was understandable; Atlantis was getting older.

"We'll bring the rest of the crew out here," said Captain Barnacles. He put a call in to the Octopod. "Octonauts, we've got a rubbish patch to clear up!"

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All of the Octonauts were gathered at the shore. Of course, Atlantis was having a total "grandma" moment seeing them all again for the first time in almost four years.

"Oh my goodness, look how tall you've gotten! And you found your special someone!" Atlantis hugged Shellington, overjoyed to see her apprentice again.

Captain Barnacles chuckled. "When he was first joining, he was your size," he explained to Deborah, "and then when he turned eighteen, he shot up like a rocket. It was like he grew ten inches overnight."

Atlantis turned to Deborah. "If you need to cheer him up, give him a good tickle. He loves it!"

"No, I do not," protested Shellington, blushing.

"Alright, everyone," said Captain Barnacles, calling everyone's attention. "We've got work to do." Everyone picked up their nets and began picking the rubbish out of the water. Atlantis and the Vegimals carried bins to store the mess. Things were fine…until the rubbish began to shout!

"Hey! Put me back in the water!"

Peso was startled. Why was the rubbish yelling at him?

Atlantis came to his side. "That's Bridget. She's a European brittle star," she explained. "They're all over the place here."

Peso cocked his head. "I thought brittle stars lived in the twilight zone?"

"There are a few types of brittle stars who live in shallow water; like this type." Atlantis picked Bridget out of the net and put her back into the water where she belonged.

About twenty-five minutes later, the rubbish had all been cleared out of the water, sorted, and properly disposed of. "Nice work, Octonauts," said Captain Barnacles.

Before leaving, the Octonauts all sat by the shore to catch up with Atlantis and tell each other stories. All except one; Sarabi stood off to the side, ignoring everyone.

"…So then I said 'this is why you look with both eyes', and Shellington laughed so damn hard, coffee came out of his nose!" They all laughed.

At that point, Atlantis looked up and saw Sarabi alone. She got up to go talk to her. "Don't you want to come and chat with us?"

"They don't care about me," said Sarabi. "I'm probably gonna be fired in a month anyway."

"That wouldn't happen," said Atlantis. "Inkling swore that after that horrible Seacliff, he would never fire another Octonaut again."

"I just don't mesh well with people," said Sarabi, turning away.

"Maybe not," said Atlantis, "but I remember that Kwazii was the same way when we first found him. He didn't talk to or get along with any of us. But after a while, he got used to us, and well, look at him now."

Sarabi cocked an eyebrow.

"It may not be easy right now, but I can assure you that these people are some of the best friends you could work with."

Sarabi looked up at the rest of the Octonauts. "I guess it's better than ending up in the system." She went over to sit with them. "Hey, did I ever tell you about the time with the skateboard?"

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_You read it here, folks! Sarabi has been fully initiated, and Season 2 is on a roll!_

_Information about the Irish Sea and brittle stars taken from Wikipedia_


	30. Mystery on Daytona Beach

_Disclaimer: dshbklfshbsakl;fhbskjlf; .nb_

BKPSDITTEKDLS

It was a sunny morning in the Atlantic Ocean.

"We're not too far off from our destination," said Dashi. Indeed they were; the Octopod was on its way to Daytona Beach, Florida.

"Excellent, Dashi," said Captain Barnacles, happy to have some time for his crew and himself to just take it easy and have fun on a beach.

"I can't wait to spend some time in the sand," said Elekai, stretching his quills. "I've loved making sandcastles ever since I was a young bloke."

"I'm glad that it's nice and warm outside," said Deborah. She was dressed in a pink sundress with little magenta butterflies on it.

"Daytona Beach is a very popular tourist city," said Shellington. "It's known for having sand packed so hard you can drive on it." He turned to see Deborah coming up behind him. He blushed. "You, uh…look very lovely today."

"Thank you," cooed Deborah. "Carol from school gave me this dress for my eighteenth birthday." They both beamed and nuzzled noses.

"We're here!" Dashi chirped. The Octonauts beamed, and made their way to the Launch Bay.

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Once on the beach, the Octonauts settled in for some fun times. Kwazii and Elekai began a sandcastle, Dashi and Lekona went to dip their paws in the water, and Shellington and Deborah settled down on a beach towel with some books.

Along the shore line, Dashi stumbled over some seaweed and dropped the goggles she was holding. She leaned over to pick them up, which was a bit hard as the splashes of the waves kept carrying them out of her reach.

"Do you need help?"

Dashi looked to her left to see a panther approaching her just as she finally retrieved her goggles. "Thank you, but I've got everything under control. I'm Dashi, by the way."

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Taffy." Taffy stretched her paws. "I'm here on my honeymoon."

"Oh, congratulations," said Dashi. "Who's the lucky one?"

"That would be Purdy, the man of my dreams," crooned Taffy. "I've never been so happy in my life."

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On the other side of the beach, Tweak had strayed away from the group, taking a leisurely stroll, thinking about her life, when she ran into another panther.

"Pardon me, miss," said the panther.

"Aw, it's no problem," said Tweak, flashing him a grin.

"The name's Purdy," said the panther, shaking Tweak's paw. "I'm here with my new missus."

"Oh, that's sweet," said Tweak. "I hope I get to go on a nice beach trip with my new missus someday."

"Don't mean to pry, but are you seeing someone?" Purdy asked.

"My girlfriend, Anita," said Tweak. "She's the sweetest tough cookie I've ever met."

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The afternoon was creeping in. The weather had cooled down, and a gentle breeze was blowing by. Captain Barnacles scanned the beach, and realized that he could only see some of his crewmates. He could see Kwazii kicking a ball around, Peso making a braid out of washed-up seaweed, Shellington and Deborah showing each other their books, Dashi, Lekona, and Taffy splashing one another, Professor Inkling and Kitsune calmly sitting on their beach towels, Elekai putting special details on his sandcastle, and Sarabi digging a hole. "Has anyone seen Tweak?"

"Haven't seen her since we got here," said Sarabi, not looking up from her hole.

"Come to think of it," said Taffy, "I lost track of Purdy as well."

Just then, a strong wind blew by, and the sky was beginning to grow overcast. Captain Barnacles furrowed his brow. "We've got to find them." He took out his Octo-Compass and sounded the Octo-Alert.

"Octonauts, to your stations!"

The Octonauts all rushed over to their leader.

"Octonauts, we've got two missing persons on this beach. We need to find both Tweak and Purdy. We'll split up. I need Kwazii and Peso to check by the GUPs, Dashi and Lekona down to the left side of the beach, Shellington and Deborah to the right side, and Elekai and Taffy up closer to the city. Professor Inkling, Sarabi and I will stay here in case they turn up here."

The Octonauts agreed, and split off to search.

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"Do you know that they filmed the Season 2 finale of _Top of the Food Chain_ here?"

Deborah and Shellington were on the right side of the beach as instructed, and Deborah was very, very chatty.

"I should show you that series sometime, it's really good. I think you'd like Jennifer, she's really funny."

Shellington nodded along. "I'm more into _The Professor of Why_, myself."

"Well, basically _Top of the Food Chain_ is about these girls who are super popular at school, and every season they have some kind of rival to overcome-"

Just then, a strong wind blew across the beach. Deborah shivered and clung to Shellington's arm. He pulled her closer and rustled her hair.

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"I think that sounds like a beautiful wedding."

Tweak and Purdy looked up at the sky and realized how long they had been walking and how far they had gone.

"We should probably head back to where everyone else is," said Purdy. "They might be worried about us." When they turned around, they saw that the wind was blowing their footprints away.

"It's fine," said Tweak. "I remember where we came from. We need to go back that way," she pointed her paw in front of her, "and turn left when we find that green umbrella."

They began walking, and about halfway to the green umbrella, they saw Dashi and Lekona looking around the beach and went over to them.

"Dashi?"

"_Oh_!" Dashi jumped and turned around. "You startled me!"

"Tweak! We found you!" Lekona grinned. "Let's go back to the captain." All four of them went back to find Captain Barnacles. "Captain, we found Tweak and Purdy!"

"That's great!" Captain Barnacles was happy that his crewmate was found safe and sound. At that point, Elekai, Taffy, and Kwazii were coming back from searching.

"It's good to have you back, Tweak." Captain Barnacles patted Tweak's back.

"Captain?" Kwazii looked sheepish. "…I lost Peso."

Captain Barnacles scowled. "Goddammit."

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Peso wandered around the beach. He thought he had seen Tweak over on the right, but now he wasn't so sure. He looked all around for someone, _anyone_, that he recognized.

"Hello?" He called. No one answered. He gulped. This was scary.

"Peso?"

"_Oh_!" Peso jumped and turned around. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Oh, sorry," said Deborah. "We can't find Tweak or Purdy anywhere, so we're going back to the captain now." All three turned and went back to Captain Barnacles.

"Oh, there's Peso," said Kwazii. "See? Crisis averted! No need to freak out!"

Captain Barnacles rolled his eyes. "At least everyone's back safe and sound."

Just then, a loud clap of thunder boomed over all of their heads.

"…Everyone, back to the GUPs."

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_Information about Daytona Beach taken from Wikipedia_


	31. Happy Birthday, Shellington

_Disclaimer: There is none._

SBDAY

It was November 20th; Shellington's twenty-first birthday. The Octonauts were finishing up their dinner.

"Habby birday!" The Vegimals chirped.

"I got you this," said Deborah, passing Shellington a small package wrapped in pink paper with a matching bow.

"Aw, thank you, love," said Shellington, taking the package. He opened it up and found inside a paperback copy of _Duchess of the Herons _by Karina Kangaroo. "Oh, Deborah, it's the one I had my eye on!"

Deborah squealed, clenched her fists, and flicked her wrists close to her face. She squished his cheeks and kissed his forehead. "I knew you'd love it!"

"If the rest of you don't mind," said Lekona, "I'm going to have a pint and watch a movie."

"Wait." Shellington got up from his chair. "I want some too."

Lekona's eyes went wide. "_You_ want a pint?"

Shellington nodded.

Lekona grinned. "Come on, skipper. Let's get some grog into you."

SBDAY

"Tha-tha's goo' stuff!"

It was roughly half an hour later. Shellington had knocked back five pints of beer and was giggly and disoriented.

"Di…did I ever tell you abou' Deborah? She went out an' go' me the most new K'rina Kangaroo book for m' birthday! She's awwwwwwwesome."

"That's nice, buddy," said Lekona. He was more focused on the movie.

"Where did Deborah go? Did she leave? Wha-why did she leave me?!"

Lekona sighed and put in a call to Deborah's quarters. "Deborah, you need to collect your boyfriend."

"Ca-can you beer me?"

Lekona had to put his paw down. "Okay, I appreciate your newfound love of alcohol, but if I give you any more, you're gonna have an aneurysm."

At that point, Deborah appeared in the game pod. "Alright, birthday boy, let's get you to bed." She took Shellington's paw and led him to the lab.

"D'you know that one time when I was little this arsehole Cullen tricked me into eating urchins that I'm allergic to and then I threw up in the bin and the teacher made me leave early and then when I came back I found out that some girl got the blame instead of-"

Deborah sighed. This was going to be a very long night.

SBDAY

_I don't want to do an outro and not even God can make me._


	32. The Clownfish

_Disclaimer: Prepare yourself for a boatload of entertainingly bad jokes._

BKPSDITTEKDLS

"I never want to drink againnnnnnnn…"

It was the morning after; and not a pleasant one.

"Well, that's what you get for drinking more than you can handle," snipped Deborah.

"Why are you mad at me…?" Shellington pulled himself out of bed, dizzy and nauseated.

"Because you kept calling me a jellybean and laughing until you fell asleep. It wasn't as funny as you thought it was. But it's okay, I forgive you 'cause you were drunk."

Shellington sighed and put his head in his paw; he felt like the whole room was spinning.

BKPSDITTEKDLS

Up in HQ, the Octopod was stationed in the Indian Ocean. It was very quiet outside, except for a little fleck of orange flitting about.

"What's that out there?" Dashi asked.

Kwazii opened up his spyglass and took a look. "Looks like a li'l fishy." He shut his spyglass. "Hey, Elekai, you wanna go see wha's out there?"

Elekai got up from his seat. "Sure." Both went down to the launch bay and exited the Octopod. They swam towards the little orange speck, which they were now close enough to to recognize as a clownfish.

"Ahoy, li'l fella," said Kwazii. "Who are you?"

"I'm Chuck," said the clownfish, "and I guess you could call me the cat's meow." He laughed at his own joke.

Elekai snorted, while Kwazii just gave him a funny look.

"Ya get it? Cause you're a cat, and you're talking to me…?" Chuck grinned awkwardly. "Guess that one fell flat."

"Yeah, it kinda did," said Kwazii.

"Well, I've been working on my act forever, so I bet I can find something to make ya grin, Roger."

"My name's not Roger," said Kwazii, while Elekai was snickering.

BKPSDITTEKDLS

About ten minutes later, Chuck was hanging out in the lab with the field researchers. "See, I'm a clownfish," he said, "and I've made it my life goal to live up to that name."

"How has that been going for you?" Deborah asked.

"I've been coming up with jokes for months," said Chuck. He turned towards Shellington, who was laying his head down on the table. "Ya wanna hear them?"

"Hunh?" Shellington looked up. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I've got this dreadful headache."

"Well, I bet some of my jokes oughta make ya feel better." Chuck rubbed his fins together, preparing himself. "Or should I say, _otter _make ya feel better!"

Shellington giggled a bit and straightened his back, leaning on Deborah's shoulder for support as he was still a bit dizzy.

"Did ya hear about the creatures in the reef? I hear they have a _correlation_."

Shellington chuckled, while Deborah laughed her sweet little laugh.

"And how about them dolphins? They're pretty loud, though I doubt that they do it on _porpoise_."

Deborah laughed and put her hooves to her face.

"Is that your girlfriend? I bet she's very _deer _to your heart."

"She most certainly is," said Shellington, holding Deborah close and kissing her forehead. "You were right, that _did _make me feel better."

Chuck did a little happy fish dance. "I'm gonna be a great comedian one day!"

BKPSDITTEKDLS

_Information about the clownfish taken from Wikipedia and Fantasea Aquariums_


	33. One Step Forward

_Disclaimer: Yeah, this is a filler chapter, what about it._

BD

It was a peaceful evening under the sea. Deborah was in the library, picking a book titled _One Step Forward _off the shelf. She read the back of the book.

"_Wendy Wolfe has been completely torn apart after her boyfriend dumped her over the summer. She's entering her junior year feeling desolate and alone. What she needs is a miracle; a miracle named Katie..._"

Deborah was intrigued. She wanted to know what happened next. She took the book over to the chair by the window, sat down, and opened to the first chapter.

"_Everything just seems wrong to me._"

…

"_Katie understood me. I liked that._"

…

"_Things seemed a little brighter today._"

…

"_I laughed so hard today._"

…

"_I don't need to worry about him anymore._"

…

"Deborah?"

Deborah looked up. Barnacles was standing next to her. "Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you for a bit? There's been a lot on my mind recently."

"Sure." Deborah budged up to allow him space.

Barnacles sat down next to Deborah. "Have I ever told you about Captain Seacliff?"

"Professor Inkling told me about him," said Deborah. "He sounds scary."

"Well…" Barnacles sighed. "I've just recently realized that…when I was shouting at you, it felt as if there was a tiny bit of Seacliff in me that came roaring out in a fiery rage."

Deborah blinked and flicked her ear.

"When I became captain, I swore that I would never let anyone on this team experience the same things Seacliff put us all through. But right then, I…I broke that promise all because I was angry."

"Captain, that was over a month ago," said Deborah. "Why is it still bothering you?"

"I just told you why," said Barnacles, agitated. "I did the very thing I swore I would put a stop to."

"But then you apologized." Deborah moved in closer. "You admitted to me that you were wrong and told me you were sorry. My dad never did that for me, and judging by everything I've heard about him, I don't think Seacliff ever did that either."

Barnacles clenched his jaw. The thought of Deborah's father still put him in a sour mood. "I wouldn't expect that son of a bitch to apologize to anyone, let alone his own daughter."

"He never did…" Deborah hugged her book to her chest. "Not even when he shouted at me for acting like a…W word because I wore a skirt a little above my knee."

Barnacles gripped the couch tightly. He was getting very angry.

"My mom said the skirt was fine as long as I had something on underneath," said Deborah, pouting. "…It was a nice skirt."

Barnacles put an arm around her. "I'm guessing that's part of why you said I was a better grandfather to your niece than him."

"Actually…" Deborah relaxed her shoulders. "What I really meant is that you feel more like my dad then my actual dad."

Barnacles' eyes went wide for a moment. He then gave Deborah a warm smile and let her sink into his chest; the way only a father and daughter can.

BKPSDITTEKDLS

_hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Barnacles is such a dad_


End file.
